Dylan Larkin scored his team-high 31st goal and added an assist, and the host Detroit Red Wings rolled to their fourth consecutive victory by silencing the New Jersey Devils 4-0 on Friday.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored an empty-netter and assisted on two more goals. Danny DeKeyser and Andreas Athanasiou also scored for Detroit.
Wings starting goaltender Jonathan Bernier (21 saves) left the game after the second period with an upper body injury. Jimmy Howard finished, making seven saves.
The Devils, who had won two straight, were shut out for the fourth time in March. Detroit's shutout was its second of the season.
Jake Chelios, son of longtime Wings and Chicago defenseman Chris Chelios, made his NHL debut for Detroit. Chelios, 28, was an emergency recall from the Grand Rapids Griffins due to injuries. He appeared in 294 American Hockey League games before finally appearing in an NHL game. He logged more than 17 minutes of ice time.
Detroit controlled the play in the first period, outshooting the Devils 15-8.
Larkin, who reached the 30-goal mark in the Wings' previous game, assumed the role of playmaker for the first goal of Friday's game. He fired a pass from beyond the right circle to DeKeyser, who one-timed it past goalie Mackenzie Blackwood with 6:22 left in the opening period. Bertuzzi was also credited with an assist on DeKeyser's fifth goal of the season.
New Jersey had a 13-11 edge in shots on goal during the second period but once again the Wings scored the lone goal.
Larkin was the finisher on Detroit's second goal of the game early in the second period. He knocked in the puck from the slot. Bertuzzi set him up and Anthony Mantha also earned an assist.
Bertuzzi fired in his empty-netter with 2:35 left. With Blackwood back in net, Athanasiou split defenders and fired a shot into the far side for his 30th goal. Martin Frk and DeKeyser assisted on the tally.
The Wings swept the season series 3-0. The teams hadn't met since November.
--Field Level Media
New Jersey | Detroit | |
N/A | Points | Tyler Bertuzzi 3 |
N/A | Goals | Tyler Bertuzzi 1 |
N/A | Assists | Tyler Bertuzzi 2 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Mackenzie Blackwood .906 | Save Percentage | Jonathan Bernier 1.000 |
Mackenzie Blackwood 29 | Saves | Jonathan Bernier 21 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
New Jersey | 28 | 0 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 2 | 24 |
Detroit | 33 | 4 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 2 | 27 |