Red Wings 3, Devils 1: First Loss In Eight Games For New Jersey

The New Jersey Devils (16-30-3) entered tonight's game winless at Joe Louis Arena since 1996.

The Detroit Red Wings (30-13-6) made sure that streak continued.

Detroit used two third period goals to defeat the Devils, 3-1, in both team's final game before the All-Star break.

The loss snaps a four game win streak for the Devils. In the past eight games, New Jersey went 6-1-1, they're best stretch of games this season.

Valtteri Filppula's goal at 5:32 of the third period proved to be the game-winner. Jiri Hudler sent a pass cross-ice to the right circle that Filppula one-timed past a diving Martin Brodeur for his 12th goal of the season.

The Devils appeared to tie the game with 2:28 left in the final period. Ilya Kovalchuk crashed the net, attempting to poke the puck loose from Red Wings' goalie Jimmy Howard. Howard's pad slid into the back of the net, dragging the puck along with it. Kovalchuk raised his arms in celebration, but the referees quickly disallowed the goal.

Video replays seemed to show the puck cross the line before Howard's pad slid into the goal. That could have tied the game and gave the Devils a chance at least a point.

"I've seen a lot of goals like that in my little career that wasn't called (off)," Devils' coach Jacques Lemaire told Tom Gulitti of The Bergen Record.

"He (referee Dave Jackson) waved it off right away and said I pushed the goalie's pad," Kovalchuk said to Gulitti.

A four minute double-minor to Brian Rolston helped submarine the Devils' comeback efforts. Rolston, skating out of his own zone, accidentally hit Patrick Eaves with the butt end of his stick. Play continued for about 10 seconds afterward without a call. Only after a stop by Howard did the referees decide to hand Rolston a penalty.

The delay irked Lemaire.

"The one that I'm very surprised on was the four minutes," Lemaire told Gulitti. "There was no call, nothing and we nearly scored. What would have happened if we would have scored? Call the goal back? And then three of the top players in the National Hockey League went and talked to them and then all of the sudden we got four minutes (of penalty time)."

"It was called by the linesman," Rolston confirmed with Gulitti. "Both of the referees didn't call it and then after the fact the linesman said that I got him. That's a tough one because then we've got our guys killing for the next four minutes."

Johan Franzen extended the lead to 3-1 with 44 seconds left in the game. Henrik Zetterberg spun at the side boards and sent a backhand pass to Franzen in the slot. The Red Wings' left-winger fired the puck past Brodeur for his 21st goal of the season.

The Devils and Red Wings traded chances in the first period, ending with a 1-1 tie.

Darren Helm opened the scoring 1:43 into the first period. Mark Fraser attempted a pass at his blue line that Helm picked off. The Red Wings' center moved in on Brodeur alone and roofed the puck  over Brodeur's glove for his sixth goal of the season.

The Devils had scored the first goal in their previous five games.

Rolston responded at 6:35 to tie the game at one. Anton Volchenkov fired a puck on goal that Howard had trouble controlling. A rebound skittered to the right of Howard's pads, and Volchenkov tried to whack the puck in. A scrum of players closed on the net, and Rolston banked a shot off of Nicklas Lidstrom and into the net for his sixth goal of the season.

The Devils enter the All-Star break last in the league with 35 points. It's a far cry from their usual stellar play, and Lemaire understands that. But he believes there are positives from their recent run.

"I'm seeing positives, there's no doubt," he told Gulitti. "There's certain guys that they have to play better. They have to play better It's that simple. You've got to touch the puck in a game. You've got to make a play in a game. And I'm talking about a few guys. If we get these guys going, we'll be ok."

Game Notes

Andy Greene, a Trenton, Michigan native, played his first NHL game at Joe Louis Arena...Both Rolston and Patrick Elias extended their point streaks to five games...Brodeur finished with 26 saves, Howard with 23...Elias will be the only Devils representative at the All-Star game.

Brodeur Helps Keep Devils Tied With Red Wings, 1-1, After Two Periods

If anyone doubted the recent resurgence of Martin Brodeur, they need only to watch the second period of tonight's New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings game.

With the teams tied, 1-1, after one period, it took a vintage Brodeur effort to keep his Devils tied.

The Red Wings outshot the Devils, 11-7, with several good scoring chances throughout the period. Brodeur rose to the occasion on each attempt.

Niklas Kronwall recorded the first good scoring chance, redirecting a shot toward Brodeur at 8:23 of the period. The Devils' goalie closed the pads to make the save.

With time running out, Johan Franzen fired a backhand from the right circle. Brodeur, playing without a stick, shouldered away the puck as the horn sounded to end the period.

Helm missed a great opportunity to put Detroit ahead with 7:10 left in the second period. Helm and Kris Draper broke in to the Devils zone on a shorthanded 2-on-1 opportunity. The Red Wings' center, already with a goal tonight, had Brodeur beat to the stick side but fired his shot wide.

New Jersey's powerplay has been ineffective all game. Despite having three opportunities, they've recorded only two shots. It's a far cry from their two goal powerplay effort in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers.

Devils, Red Wings Tied, 1-1, After One Period

The New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings are tied, 1-1, after one period tonight at the Joe Louis Arena.

The Devils led the period in shots, 10-7.

Detroit capitalized on a early Devils' mistake to take a 1-0 lead. Devils defenseman Mark Fraser attempted to pass the puck across the ice at his own blue line, but Darren Helm picked off the puck. The Red Wings' center broke in alone on Martin Brodeur and fired a shot over his shoulder for his sixth goal of the season.

That broke a streak of five consecutive games in which the Devils scored first.

Brian Rolston tied the game, 1-1, at 6:35 of the opening period. Anton Volchenkov fired a slap shot from the left circle that Red Wings' goalie Jimmy Howard stopped. The puck trickled to his right, and Volchenkov tried to tip home the puck. With players scrambling to find the puck, Rolston banked a shot off Nicklas Lidstrom and into the net for his sixth goal of the season.

Rolston is one of the hotter Devils during their 6-0-1 streak. With a goal tonight, the left-winger has 11 points in seven-plus games.

Patrik Elias, who assisted on the goal, extended his point streak to five games.

Coming into tonight's game, the Devils lost eight straight games at Joe Louis Arena. Their last win, a 2-0 shutout on November 6, 1996, was Brodeur's 13th career shutout.

New Jersey Devils at Detroit Red Wings: Devils Looking For Solid Effort In Final Game Before Break

Even with a four-game win streak, New Jersey Devils' head coach Jacques Lemaire still worries about his team's effort.

"Let's say I'm anxious to see what's coming up, what will be the weather in the game," Lemaire told Tom Gulitti of The Bergen Record. "It always depends on the weather. When the weather is good, the team plays better."

New Jersey is hoping for smooth sailing as they look to extend their win streak against the Detroit Red Wings tonight at Joe Louis Arena.

The Devils come into tonight's matchup surging, with the team finally playing competitive hockey. In their past seven games, the offense produced 28 goals. The defense play improved dramatically, allowing only 13 goals.

Individuals also improved their play dramatically. Martin Brodeur, who looked average for much of the season, is 5-0-1 in his last six games. Ilya Kovalchuk recorded three points in his last two games, and Brian Rolston produced nine points in his past seven games.

"Our game is improving," Lemaire said to Gulitti. "I mentioned I didn't like the whole game last game, but overall I'm very pleased the last couple of weeks with that the guys have been doing. They've been focusing on what we're asking and they've been doing the job."

The Devils extended their win streak to four after defeating the Florida Panthers, 5-2, Sunday at the Prudential Center. After a strong first period, New Jersey's level of play significantly dropped. The team misfired on passes and struggled with their break out. It took a big effort from Brodeur, who allowed two goals on 19 shots in the second and third periods combined, to keep Florida from taking the lead.

"You could tell we were off a little bit," defenseman Andy Greene told Gulitti. "At the same time, we found a way to win, which is good. Obviously, you can't have your best game every night, but we can have a better effort and a little bit more discipline in our system and all that."

Detroit brings an injured and inconsistent squad into tonight's matchup. Just 3-3-1 in their last seven games, the Red Wings carry a laundry list on injured stars, including Pavel Datsyuk. Despite their issues, Detroit sits second overall in the Western Conference.

If the Devils win, they will have their first five-game win streak since December 12 to December 21 of 2009.