Devils top Red Wings 5-3 in Motown

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 11: Jesper Bratt #63 of the New Jersey Devils shoots the puck past a defending Moritz Seider #53 of the Detroit Red Wings during the second period at Little Caesars Arena on April 11, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

If we weren’t going to make the playoffs, the next best thing is to ruin other team’s chances. Even better is when it’s one of my top 5 most hated teams in Detroit, so a nice little Saturday, all things considered.

1st Period

However, it was an absolutely awful start to this game, as the Devils didn’t register a shot until 10 minutes in. Both Nico and Bratt passed up clean looks in favor of a pass – and I get that you sometimes gotta make the goalie move but shoot the puck if you have a clean look from inside 10 feet guys. While we were busy playing pond hockey, Detroit scored on their 10th shot at 9:41. Just a terrible step up at the blueline by Dillon, letting Faulk walk in untouched and rip one past Allen.

We would answer back almost exactly a minute later as we reverse-Markstrom’d the Wings by scoring on our first shot. Great play by Bratt to chip it up to a streaking Jack who was in on a 2-on-1 with Brown – and he decided we needed some shots and he buried it far side for his 27th goal, and 15th since the Olympic break at 10:41.

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Not much else to report on this period, as the Devils clawed back somewhat to make it a little less lopsided in the final 10 of the first – with shots 13-8, scoring chances 13-9 and xG (33%) all favoring the Wings.

2nd Period

The 2nd was a totally different story from a pressure perspective and an objectively great period for the Devils. However, another mistake at the blueline would prove costly – this time on a mix up between Cholowski and Halonen allowed Copp to easily win the puck battle. He fed Perron in the high slot and he rips one past a seemingly surprised Allen. 2-1.

The Devils would answer back and tie it as Cholowski (!!) and Kovacevic (!!!) had some good high zone puck movement, before getting it to Bratt on the right wing boards. Bratt then walked back up the boards and across the high slot, ripping one through a maze of bodies and past Gibson:

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3rd Period

The third evened out a bit more to start with Detroit’s season on the line, and the Devils seemingly knowing they can play this one out. However, Detroit would jump ahead on yet another defensive masterclass from the Dillon Nemec pairing. Dillon got dog walked by Lucas Raymond, letting him slide it between his legs and get around him, while Nemec couldn’t quite get Finnie tied up in front. 3-2 bad guys at 7:00.

That would be it for them, though, as the Devils owned the last 10 minutes of this game. First it Cody Glass with a great effort in front with 2 Wings draped all over him, as he buried a rebound off a Timo Meier blast. I don’t have any numbers to back this up (maybe I’ll find some at some point) but I feel like Cody scores nothing but important goals (tying, go ahead, first etc). Absolute revelation. Remember when our former GM was just gonna let him walk to free agency?

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A little over 5 minutes later Jack and Bratt would finish a vintage PB&J 2-on-1 against supposed Norris candidate Moritz Seider to to suck the rest of the air out of LCA:

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And if that wasn’t enough, Mercer would put the final dagger in Detroit on the empty net with exactly 1 minute remaining. Just an absolute beast mode effort from Nico to carry this one out and through the neutral zone carrying a backpack named DeBrincat:

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There is no shame in taking small victories in a lost season, and this was certainly one of them. Back at tomorrow against Ottawa.

Some Scattered Thoughts

Not sure what has gotten into Siegenthaler but that is now 15 points on the season, his second highest total of his career (21 in 22-23). He went 18 games without a point from Jan 20th-Mar 20th, but now has 9 assists in his last 11 games. Weird.

In what has widely been perceived as a down season, Jesper Bratt managed to hit 70 points again, with a 3 point night tonight. In reality he has quietly been consistent all year, with only two stretch of 4 games without a point, and only one stretch of 3 since the the start of 2026. 26 of those points have come since the Olympic break where he has been at a 1.3 PPG clip. He and Jack remain electric, but the addition of Brown (19 pts in 20 games) has been a real eye opener. Brown appears to be what Palat was intended to be.

Speaking of the handsomest ginger in all of New Jersey, he hit his 300th career point tonight. He really seems to have hit his stride and I will continue to beat the drum that he was our best off season pick up.

A lot of talk has been about Nico’s extension, but Glass will be eligible as well. I really want to see him get to 20 goals over the next few games, and he has more than earned a longer extension.

Dillon and Nemec are one of the worst positional D pairs I have ever seen. Both routinely over commit at both blue lines and get burned for odd mans the other way. I am going to write about personnel for next season, and I think I’ve had enough of both of them. I realize Dillon is a great dude and has an element we lack, but if you’re going to be a “defensive defenseman” than maybe do it. It’s like the are actively trying to sabotage each other.

Solid start from Allen tonight, had a couple of good saves with the extra attacker and kept us in it early.

No more Cholowski please, speaking of bad defenseman.

LGD