Hellberg helps Red Wings defeat Devils in first NHL game since 2017

NEWARK, N.J. -- Magnus Hellberg made 20 saves to win his first NHL game in five seasons in his debut for the Detroit Red Wings, a 5-3 victory against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Friday.

"Obviously it's a great feeling to win the last game of the season," Hellberg said. "I had a lot of fun out there. I enjoyed it."
The 31-year-old goalie spent the past five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League before signing a free agent contract with Detroit on April 13. His last NHL win came with the New York Rangers against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 9, 2017.
"I kind of felt pretty good right off the bat," Hellberg said. "Obviously it's been a while since I played. I think it's been two-and-a-half months, but it was good. The guys played well in front of me; let me see the pucks."

Pius Suter scored on a wrist shot at 10:42 of the third period to give the Red Wings a 4-3 lead. A video review initiated by the NHL Situation Room in Toronto on Suter's shot that originally appeared to be stopped along the goal line by New Jersey defenseman Dougie Hamilton, confirmed the goal.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored his 30th of the season into an empty net at 19:50 for the 5-3 final.
"Our guys are good people and they care about each other and they're very aware of where he was at, and they were working hard to get him that one," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said.
Michael Rasmussen and Bertuzzi each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (32-40-10), who went 2-3-0 in their last five games of the season.
"I'm happy for 'Bert' that he got his 30th and happy for Magnus to step in and win a game after being with us," Blashill said. "I thought that was great. It's way better to walk into the locker room after a win."
Fabian Zetterlund had a goal and an assist, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 31 saves for Devils (27-46-9), who went 0-4-2 in their final six games of the season.
"I'm just disappointed," New Jersey captain Nico Hischier said. "We really wanted to win that game. I think, after a season like that, the fans deserve the last win at home. That's all that mattered to me tonight and we couldn't do it, so it's just disappointing."

Rasmussen scored his 15th goal for a 1-0 lead 1:08 into the first period on a snap shot from the high slot.
Dawson Mercer tied it 1-1 for New Jersey on a backhand from the slot at 17:14, his first goal in 19 games.
Moritz Seider gave Detroit a 2-1 lead on a wrist shot from the point at 6:30 of the second period. Seider, a favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year, finished the season with 50 points (seven goals, 43 assists).
Nolan Foote tied the game 2-2 for the Devils when he deflected a shot from the point by Hamilton at 15:38.
Joe Veleno made it 3-2 for Detroit on a snap shot from the slot 54 seconds into the third period.
Zetterlund tied it 3-3 at 6:57 on a snap shot from the left circle off a drop pass by Hischier.
"We're a young team but at some point we've got to start winning," Hischier said. "I obviously didn't lose trust in the group we have. Sometimes it hurts, but at the end, it's going to feel even better when we win. You got to go through the lows to get to the highs."
NOTES:Seider is the fifth rookie defenseman in the past 32 years to score 50 points in a season, joining Quinn Hughes (53, 2019-20), Cale Makar (50, 2019-20), Vladimir Malakhov (52, 1992-93) and Nicklas Lidstrom (60, 1991-92). ... Seider, Mercer and Detroit forward Lucas Raymond are the only NHL rookies to play in all 82 games this season. ... Hischier went 15-for-20 on face-offs (75.0 percent) and played 19:12 in his 300th NHL game. ... Zetterlund finished the season with a three-game point streak (two goals, two assists).