Devils Start Fast And Hold On To Beat Red Wings, 4-3
LARRY LAGE
AP Hockey Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Kyle Palmieri scored twice and Cory Schneider made 27 saves, helping the New Jersey Devils hold on for a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
Stefan Noesen gave the Devils the lead on their first shot 1:28 into the game. Palmieri put New Jersey ahead 2-0 lead less than five minutes later and restored its two-goal advantage with 34 seconds left in the second period with the first of his team's two short-handed goals.
Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg scored with 1:47 remaining in the second, but the struggling team he leads stayed within a goal for less than 1 ½ minutes.
The Devils went up 3-1 midway through on Adam Henrique's short-handed goal. Detroit pulled within a score on goals from Tomas Tatar and Nick Jensen.
Detroit had an extra skater when Palmieri was called for interference with 2:16 left and pulled Jared Coreau about a minute later, but it couldn't take advantage of the opportunity to extend the game to overtime.
Coreau stopped 20 shots for the Red Wings, whose winless streak was extended to a season-high matching five games.
The Devils had lost two straight and three of four.
New Jersey and Detroit were two of the four teams to come out of the All-Star break with an Eastern Conference-low 49 points.
Only one team at Joe Louis Arena started the game with a sense of urgency.
Coreau was fortunate he didn't give up a goal on the opening shift, getting a break when Palmieri's shot hit the left post. He could not, though, stop Noesen on his shot off a rebound.
Palmieri scored an unassisted short-handed goal while draped by defenseman Niklas Kronwall, taking advantage of lackadaisical backchecking from forwards Gustav Nyquist and Anthony Mantha.
Detroit had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:16 midway through the second period but failed to get a shot on net.
NOTES: New Jersey began the game with three short-handed goals this season and nearly matched that total in one night at Detroit. ... Detroit's Dylan Larkin played for the first time since Jan. 22, returning from an upper-body injury. To make room for Larkin, Drew Miller was assigned to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Calgary Flames on Friday.
Red Wings: Host the New York Islanders on Friday.
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