RECAP: Resiliency, regaining momentum instrumental in Red Wings’ 5-4 road victory over Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS -- Bending but not breaking, the Detroit Red Wings squandered a two-goal first-period lead but held on for an exciting 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night.

“The finish is what we were looking for, not necessarily the road map we had to get there,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said. “But we said we’d find out a little bit about our team. We found out that there’s some resiliency in the group.”

Goaltender Cam Tablot made 21 saves for the Red Wings (16-18-4; 36 points), who won their third consecutive game. For the Blue Jackets (16-17-6; 38 points), netminder Elvis Merzlikins also finished with 21 saves.

“There’s no quit,” said Alex DeBrincat, who recorded a power-play goal and two assists for his seventh multi-point game and second three-point performance of the season. “We give up that late goal, our PK does a great job and obviously Berggy scores after that. I think we’re not getting down on the bench when we have a momentum swing. We just keep working to get that momentum back and it’s been going well for us.”

Taking advantage of an early power play, Columbus struck first just 2:42 into the game when Coll Sillinger’s shot from the top of the right face-off circle was tipped by James van Riemsdyk to give them a 1-0 lead.

Patrick Kane responded for Detroit at 6:55 of the first period, cleaning up a loose puck that popped out of a scramble in front of the net after Merzlikins made the initial save on a slot from the slot by DeBrincat. The primary assist on Kane’s eighth goal of the season, which made it 1-1 and extended his goal-scoring streak to three consecutive games, went to Andrew Copp.

Erik Gustafsson’s first goal as a member of the Red Wings gave the club its first lead of the night, 2-1, at 14:39 of the first period. The 32-year-old defenseman looked up to the sky and raised his stick after blasting home a shot from the point, with Justin Holl picking up the lone helper on the play.

Making it a 3-1 game at 17:09 of the first period, DeBrincat snuck a shot in short side while Detroit was up a man for his team-leading 16th goal of the season. Moritz Seider and captain Dylan Larkin had the assists, capping off an opening frame that saw the Red Wings outshoot the Blue Jackets, 12-7.

“If we can get that momentum and feel good about ourselves early in the game, it helps us go a long way,” DeBrincat said. “I think we were buzzed off it a bit with the penalty and the goal against, but after that I thought we took it to them and obviously ended the first [period] with a good lead.”

But by the time the second period was complete, Columbus had tied the game 3-3. First, Zach Werenski beat Talbot with a shot from the high slot to pull his club within a goal at 11:06. Then at 18:40, van Riemsdyk slid the puck through the slot to Sean Monahan on the back door and he cashed in on an open net.

“I thought in the second period, we let the game get away from us a little bit,” McLellan said. “Shift length got a little long, we got caught tired and they scored two right near the end of a period.”

Larkin got the Red Wings their lead back, 4-3, at 4:54 of the third period. After taking a pass from Kane, DeBrincat, from behind the goal line, passed up to Larkin in the slot for a power-play one timer and his 14th goal of the season.

“He’s our best player, I think,” DeBrincat said about Larkin, who has lit the lamp in back-to-back games. “When he’s going, we’re winning games. It’s good to see him put it in the net. I think he’s been getting the chances, but it’s been unlucky for him. Hopefully the tides turn, and he can pop a few.”

A second goal from van Riemsdyk at 17:19 of the third period tied it 4-4, which Detroit unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference.

“We’re coming to play to win,” McLellan said. “There was a gamble aspect to our call. We also have confidence in our penalty killers, and they came through for us.”

With 36 seconds remaining in regulation, Berggren sprung out of the penalty box and scored his first career NHL game-winning goal on a breakaway for the 5-4 victory. The puck got to Berggren after Ben Chiarot blocked a shot and Tyler Motte made an incredible diving play to push it down the ice.

“When you’re sitting in the penalty box, you kind of hope it comes like that,” said Berggren, who has tallied three points (two goals, one assist) in his last two games and now has six goals on the season. “This time it was lucky.”

Berggren’s tally was also the second time Detroit netted a go-ahead goal in the final minute of regulation this season. On Nov. 21, Lucas Raymond scored a go-ahead goal with 51 seconds to go against the New York Islanders. So, thanks to that pair of Swedish forwards, the Red Wings are the only NHL club to score multiple go-ahead goals in the final minute of regulation this year.

“Our PK did an unbelievable job there,” DeBrincat said about the final minutes of Thursday’s game. “That’s not easy to do with two minutes left in the game. Berggy coming out of the box, he had one just like that the other night. It’s great to get those two points and keep battling. Obviously, there’s things we can work on, but two points is two points.”

McLellan did not have a postgame update on Jeff Petry, who exited midway through the third period.

NEXT UP: Detroit will try to secure its fourth straight win when it visits the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Saturday night.

POSTGAME QUOTES

McLellan on the coach's challenge late in the third period

"From the angle that we saw, obviously we don't have much time, we thought that, I think it was van Riemsdyk went into the blue paint on his own. His feet were in there. We didn't feel Talbs could get across to make the play. Obviously, Justin had made some contact but we thought he entered there on his own."

DeBrincat on facing the Jets

"It's big. Anytime you're going against the best, it's a good test for you. Obviously, being on the road is a whole new challenge. I think we just got to have the same starts, really focus on that and we can go on from there, really grind them down."

Berggren on playing a little more freely

"When I have the puck, I don't think like I can make a mistake here. I just think about seeing the plays and how I make the plays instead of how I lose the puck. Just think about producing, and I think that's the biggest thing right now."