Sports

Red Wings End 6-Game Skid

January 2, 2020 / 9:56 AM EST / CBS Detroit

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For a change, the Detroit Red Wings played a sound game and got rewarded for it.

Jonathan Bernier made 34 saves; Tyler Bertuzzi scored his 15th goal and Detroit beat the San Jose Sharks 2-0 Tuesday night to end a six-game losing streak.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 31: Adam Erne #73 of the Detroit Red Wings tries to get a shot off between Martin Jones #31 and Erik Karlsson #65 of the San Jose Sharks during the second period at Little Caesars Arena on December 31, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

"I thought we played pretty good hockey. We weren't perfect but I thought we did a real good job of defending," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "I thought (Bernier) was real good, but I also thought we played pretty good defensively."

It was Bernier's first shutout of the season and 18th of his career.

"You have to stick with it. At some point, you work hard in practice and those bounces are gonna turn," Bernier said. "There's a couple of saves tonight I got lucky, and it just hit me. That's just hockey."

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 31: Filip Hronek #17 of the Detroit Red Wings tries to get around the stick of Joel Kellman #46 of the San Jose Sharks during the first period at Little Caesars Arena on December 31, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Filip Hronek also scored for Detroit, which had dropped all six games during its skid in regulation.

Martin Jones stopped 21 shots for San Jose, which has lost 11 of its last 13 (2-9-2).

"We just need to be better offensively," Sharks captain Logan Couture said. "We didn't give them much, but we didn't get enough traffic in front, and we didn't make it hard on their goaltender. We just need to get better."

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 31: Tomas Hertl #48 of the San Jose Sharks battles for the puck against Frans Nielsen #81 of the Detroit Red Wings during the first period at Little Caesars Arena on December 31, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Bernier's biggest save came on Couture from the slot with a little more than six minutes left after a turnover deep in the Red Wings zone.

Bertuzzi scored 3:15 into the second period when he tipped defenseman Madison Bowey's shot from the right point. It was the team-leading 15th goal for Bertuzzi, who will represent Detroit in the All-Star Game.

"It was an overall good game by us. A lot of guys stepped up," Bertuzzi said.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 31 Alex Biega #3 of the Detroit Red Wings passes the puck in the first period while playing the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena on December 31, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Hronek scored into an empty net with 48.2 seconds left. It was the defenseman's eighth goal.

NOTE: San Jose recalled F Joachim Blichfeld from AHL San Jose on Monday. ... Detroit F Andreas Athanasiou did not play and will miss two-to-three weeks with a lower-body injury. ... The Red Wings recalled LW Givani Smith from AHL Grand Rapids. ... Detroit D Mike Green was a late scratch.

NEXT UP

Sharks: Visit Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

Red Wings: Visit Dallas on Friday night.