Detroit – What the New Year holds remains to be seen, but the Red Wings certainly had an enjoyable New Year’s Eve.
It didn’t start off great, but a three-goal flurry in just 1 minute, 55 seconds in the third period sent the Wings to a 4-2 victory over Ottawa.
Trailing 2-1, the Wings received goals from Lucas Raymond (1:18, his ninth), Elmer Soderblom (fifth, 2:36) and Michael Rasmussen (seventh, 3:13), completely changing the game.
Raymond redirected a shot from Olli Maatta from the point, Soderblom one-timed a Joe Veleno feed, and Rasmussen stripped goaltender Cam Talbot of the puck behind the net and scored an easy wraparound, blitzing the shellshocked Senators.
What appeared to be likely a sad evening for Detroit sports fans turned into 50% pleasant, at least.
BOX SCORE: Red Wings 4, Senators 2
“We can score in bunches,” Rasmussen said. “I don’t think we want to be down like that like we have been the past few games, but it’s always encouraging when you score and score a few in a couple minutes there. We just need to start a little better.”
Pius Suter opened the Wings scoring, as the Wings moved to 16-12-7 (39 points) and supplied excitement to what is annually one of the best crowds of the season at Little Caesars Arena.
“We talked a little extra about it being New Year’s and it’s part of the tradition of being a Red Wing (playing on New Year’s Eve), but to the guys’ credit, we created that environment,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “The guys pushed. It was an unbelievable second period, we deserved more, and finally broke through there in the third period.”
Goaltender Magnus Hellberg, earning another start for illness-ridden Ville Husso, stopped 21 shots for the victory. After a shaky first period, Hellberg settled down and made timely stops to earn his third victory for the Wings (3-2-0).
“He made some big saves and played real good for us,” Raymond said. “He gave us a chance.”
Austin Watson (Ann Arbor) and Claude Giroux had first-period Ottawa goals.
Watson opened the scoring from the slot, converting a feed from Alex DeBrincat (Farmington Hills) for Watson’s third goal, at 10:36 of the first period.
Ottawa increased the lead to 2-0 on Giroux’s 15th goal, which will not appear on Hellberg’s personal highlights.
Giroux cut through the slot and lifted a backhander that tumbled up and over Hellberg, at 15:27.
But to Hellberg’s credit, after seeing little action in the second period, he made a big stop on DeBrincat on the power play to keep the Wings within striking distance.
“He literally went through 20 minutes with a shot on net and then it’s a grade A power play,” Lalonde said. “Huge save. If he doesn’t make that save, 3-1 is a lot different than 2-1, so it was a huge fight back from him after his first period.”
Suter cut the deficit in half at 8:42 of the second period.
Raymond took the puck to the net, cut through the slot and regained possession of a puck that was knocked free, then fed Suter in the slot, who snapped his fifth goal (first since Nov. 17) past Talbot.
“I kind of saw him from the corner of my eye,” Raymond said. “I just tried to get the puck to him. Great shot.”
The Wings’ penalty kill took over the latter half of the period killing a four-minute Raymond high-sticking penalty (an Ottawa penalty cut short that advantage by 1:35) and interference penalty.
The penalty kills fueled the Wings’ surge in the third period.
“This group just keeps battling,” Lalonde said. “Huge credit to them. This was a huge effort. (The game wasn’t) going our way. The guys kept it going, pushed harder in the third, and got rewarded.”
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan