Red Wings lose back-and-forth battle to Devils, 5-4

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings took a two-goal first-period lead on Friday, but saw momentum swing back and forth throughout the afternoon before ultimately losing to the New Jersey Devils, 5-4, at Little Caesars Arena.

Playing his 500th career NHL game, goalie Cam Talbot made 24 saves for Detroit (10-11-2; 22 points). A 25-save afternoon by goaltender Jacob Markstrom helped New Jersey (16-8-2; 34 points) even up the three-game season series between the Eastern Conference clubs.

“We had an opportunity to have a really good first period and come out with the lead, but we didn’t get it done,” Tyler Motte said. “We had a lot of trust in our power play as well. They had some good opportunities, and sometimes it’s just about building momentum too. I thought they were opportunistic, made pucks in the back of the net. We weren’t able to capitalize.”

Scoring his third goal of the season, and first since Oct. 19, Vladimir Tarasenko received a pass from Jeff Petry and skated top the top of the left face-off circle before he snapped a shot past Markstrom on the power play to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead at 3:41 of the first period. The secondary assist went to J.T. Compher.

Lucas Raymond extended his goal-scoring streak to five consecutive games, tying an NHL career-high, when he tucked in a wraparound shot to double it 2-0 at 9:22 of the first period. Earning the assists on Raymond’s seventh goal of the season were Tarasenko, who also recorded his first multi-point game with Detroit, and Marco Kasper.

“Just trying to do the same things,” Raymond said. “Puck is going in, which is fun. Had a couple more looks today, but it’s just about shooting and trying to stay with it.”

At 16:05 of the first period, Dougie Hamilton lit the lamp on the power play to trim the Devils’ deficit to 2-1. The Red Wings challenged the goal for goaltender interference, but the call was upheld after a lengthy review.

The unsuccessful challenge put Detroit on the penalty kill, and New Jersey evened the score with the extra skater when Timo Meier one-timed Luke Hughes’ pass from the right face-off circle to make it 2-2 with two minutes left in the opening frame.

“Unfortunately, it was a pretty big turning point,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said. “Then we get 1:55 of the next kill and have a short-handed breakaway, and they get a goal at the end of it to come out of the period 2-2.”

Just moments after a power play – which carried over from the first period -- expired, Detroit jumped back in front when Motte tipped in Ben Chiarot’s point shot to make it 3-2 just 1:26 into the middle frame. Compher also was credited with an assist on Motte’s first goal with his hometown NHL club.

“Sometimes that first one feels like it gets away from you too much,” Motte said. “A little bit of confidence for myself. It feels a lot better with a win, but something for me to build off.”

Nico Hischier tied the game at 11:10 of the second period, ripping a wrist shot from the slot past Talbot to make it 3-3. Then the Devils took their first lead, 4-3, of the afternoon just 5:39 later when Stefan Noesen got the puck over the goal line after a scramble in front of the net.

The Red Wings had a four-minute penalty kill to start the third period, but with less than a minute to go on the man advantage, Jack Hughes sniped a wrist shot into the corner of the net to extend it 5-3 for New Jersey.

Quickly getting one right back for Detroit, Justin Holl blasted in a shot from the point to trim it to 5-4 at 3:27 of the third period. Andrew Copp recorded the lone assist on Holl’s first goal with the club.

Talbot was pulled with 2:15 remaining, but the Red Wings couldn’t get the tying goal.

“I feel like every team you play has a lot of skilled players,” Raymond said. “Obviously the Devils have a lot of firepower up front. If we do what we’re supposed to do, I think we can play against any team defensively.”

NEXT UP: Detroit will face off against the Vancouver Canucks at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday afternoon.

POSTGAME QUOTES

Lalonde on Detroit’s recent play on the penalty kill

“We got to figure it out. It’s killing us. I will say, maybe we took a step with some of our structure. But it’s just any time you miss something, a little over aggressive on a route or you don’t get a clear, it’s just ending up in the back of our net.”

Raymond on how Friday’s setback

“Our first 10 [minutes] in the first [period] was really good. We came out with good punch, then obviously they score a couple on the power play. We still bounced back pretty good, then just weren’t able to finish it.”

Motte on what he saw when the Red Wings were down a man against the Devils

“Goalie interference can go either way. I think we trusted our PK to go out and kill one, and obviously didn’t get it done. Call it a bounce there on the first one, then sometimes you just got to find a way. That’s what penalty killing is all about: finding a way to get clears and blocks. We just didn’t have it today.”

Motte on if special teams was the difference in the result on Friday

“I don’t think you ever want to single out special teams. We know it’s a big part of the game, for sure. Especially on the PK, we take a lot of pride on getting it done.”