In Detroit, the Red Wings and visiting Boston Bruins entered the third period tied, 3-3, and then the house fell in on Detroit as the Bruins posted three goals in a 5-3 win on Sunday.
Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves in the win.
Boston improved to 22-7-6 off their third straight following a four-game skid.
“I think we’re absolutely past that,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “I like the way we are competing for each other and the energy on the bench. Even though some guys might not be getting the minutes they want right now, they are being incredible teammates.”
Trent Frederic h hit for a double for the Bruins in the win.
His first came in the opening stanza to stake Boston to a 1-0 lead with 52 seconds left on the clock.
“[David Pastrnak] hit a pretty good 60-degree wedge to me,” Frederic said. “I was a little slow getting after it, so all I had was the backhand. I was lucky to get it up and over his shoulder.”
He scored his double at at 4:25 of the middle frame to push the advantage to 2-0.
“I think he’s playing faster, and he’s underrated as a great skater,” Montgomery said. “He’s driving pucks consistently instead of delaying, which he did a lot, and he’s opening up space for himself.”
Detroit rallied with a pair of goals ti knot the game, 2-2.
The Red Wings dropped 17-16-4 off its 10th loss in 13 games.
“This was an opportunity missed,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “This was probably our most complete 60 minutes from start to finish in a while, but it came against a team where there is a very slim margin of error to be successful.”
Jake Walman scored at 13:01 of the send to trim the deficit to 2-1 for Detroit, and Ben Chiarot potted a goal at 16:42 to send the game to the third period tied, 2-2.
In the third, the ice was tilted in the Bruins favor and they took advantage.
Boston’s Charlie Coyle reclaimed the lead for the Bruins, 3-2, at at 3:52.
“That was disappointing,” Lalonde said. “They had one chance in the third period on a missed face-off assignment, and it ended up in the back of our net.”
Jake DeBrusk hit for what would be the game-winner at 17:59 when he potted a marker in an empty net for a 4-2 lead,
“Tonight was frustrating, for sure,” Chiarot said. “After our last game (a 5-4 overtime win against the Nashville Predators on Friday), we were looking to build some momentum going into a long road trip.
“I think going on the road will be good for us.”
Detroit’s J.T. Compher hit off the power play to tighten the gap to 4-2 at 18:38.
Pavel Zacha, added the insurance with another empty-net strike at 19:36 for the 5-3 final count.
Alex Lyon made 19 saves in the loss.
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