Dylan Larkin recorded his 30th goal of the season and added an assist, while Alex Lyon made 28 saves to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.
Jonatan Berggren, J.T. Compher, Alex DeBrincat, and Marco Kasper also scored for the Red Wings, who won their third straight game. Despite the strong finish, Detroit will miss the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
The Devils, who had already locked in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 42 wins and 91 points, will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
With his milestone goal, Larkin made it 3-0 just 2:55 into the third period. Simon Edvinsson, Moritz Seider, and Lucas Raymond each contributed two assists.
Erik Haula ended Lyon’s shutout bid with a power-play goal midway through the third, and Dawson Mercer cut the deficit to one with a goal at 14:21. However, Kasper’s late tally secured the win for Detroit.
New Jersey was missing several key regulars, including Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Ondrej Palat, and Stefan Noesen, as well as defensemen Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, and Johnathan Kovacevic.
Goaltender Nico Daws made 22 saves in the loss after spending most of the season with AHL affiliate Utica.
Game Takeaways
Devils: Defenseman Dougie Hamilton returned to the lineup after missing over a month with a lower-body injury.
Red Wings: Played a disciplined defensive game and executed well in their second-to-last outing of the season.
Key Moment
Berggren opened the scoring early, providing Detroit with early momentum against a depleted New Jersey roster.
Key Stat
Larkin reached the 30-goal milestone for the fourth consecutive season.
Looking Ahead
Devils: Begin their postseason next week against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Red Wings: Conclude their regular season on Thursday with a visit to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
