NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Pius Suter scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and the Detroit Red Wings beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 Friday night in the teams’ season finale.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Michael Rasmussen each had a goal and an assist, and Moritz Seider and Joe Veleno also scored for the Red Wings. Sam Gagner had two assists and Magnus Hellberg stopped 23 shots.
Fabian Zetterlund had a goal and an assist, and Dawson Mercer and Nolan Foote also scored for the Devils, who closed the season with six straight losses (0-4-2) overall and eight straight at home. Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 30 saves.
Suter’s goal with 9:27 left gave Detroit it’s fourth lead of the game, and Bertuzzi added an empty-netter, his 30th goal of the season, with 10 seconds to go to seal the win.
Veleno scored his eighth 54 seconds into the third period to give Detroit a 3-2 lead before Zetterlund tied it for the third time just over 6 minutes later with his third.
Rasmussen scored at 1:08 of the first period to give the Red Wings the 1-0 lead with his 15th.
Mercer answered for the Devils when Zetterlund found him at the front of the net with 2:46 left in the opening period to tie it. It was Mercer’s 17th.
Seider scored with a wrist shot from the top of the point at 6:30 of the second to retake the lead for the Red Wings. It was his seventh.
Foote tied it for the Devils with his third with 4:22 remaining in the period.
