Meier scores 2, Toffoli gets game winner as Devils edge Red Wings 3-2
The New Jersey Devils were looking to turn things around heading into the holiday break and Tyler Toffoli did just that with nice deflection and a little puck luck against the Detroit Red Wings.
Timo Meier scored twice, Toffoli tallied the game winner with 7:15 left and the Devils snapped a three-game winless streak with a 3-2 decision over the slumping Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
"Obviously the past couple games haven't gone the way we wanted," Toffoli said. "Obviously, the Red Wings played last night so you're not going to take it too far but we knew that they were tired and we wanted to have the best game that we could before the break and I thought that's what we did."
Vitek Vanecek made 22 saves and benefited from a shot off the goalpost by Daniel Sprong on a late power play in helping the Devils win for the first time on a five-game homestand (1-2-1).
Toffoli got his first-game winning goal as a Devil, redirecting Jesper Bratt's shot past Michael Hutchinson, who made 32 saves in his first game as a Red Wing.
"I think it got deflected twice," Hutchinson said. "It got hit and it was going to the corner and got deflected again. Sometimes they hit you and sometimes they don't."
Patrick Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere tallied for the Red Wings, who have lost five of six.
Detroit played the final 25-plus minutes without fourth-line center Christian Fischer and defenseman Jeff Petry after they collided in the Red Wings' zone. Fischer had to be helped off the ice.
Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said both have upper-body injuries.
"I loved our effort," Lalonde said. "Obviously playing it back to back, three cities in four days, short-handed there with bodies. We're down to five D, 11 forwards playing our fourth goalie, and our guys gave us a great effort. It feels a little disappointing to put that kind of compete and effort and not get a point."
Meier had tied the game 2:46 into the third period with is third goal in the last two games. His shot from the left circle got between Hutchinson and his arm and slid into the net.
"We really wanted to leave the rink tonight with a smile on our face," Meier said. "Those couple of days (off) are definitely going to feel good. Just rest up and I think for guys to spend some time with their families and enjoy Christmas and then come back and just get back to work."
Gostisbehere gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead midway through the second period with a shot from right circle after being set up by Sprong.
Kane, who had two goals in the 7-6 shootout win over the Flyers on Friday night, needed only 4:22 to get the Red Wings on the board with his fourth goal in the last three games. Former Blackhawks teammate Alex DeBrincat made it happen with a cross-ice pass for a shot into an open net.
Meier knotted it at 11:51, putting the rebound of Michael McLeod's shot past a defenseless Hutchinson, who was signed earlier this week with Ville Husso and Alex Lyon out with injuries.
"We need this break," Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. "We need to hit the reset button, going away for a couple of days."