Detroit — Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said the other day the NHL has become somewhat a race to three goals in his estimation, and the first team to reach that number has a great chance to win.

It worked Tuesday on New Year’s Eve for the Wings.

J.T. Compher scored his fifth goal, a power-play goal, at 14 minutes, 26 seconds of the third period, giving the Wings a 3-2 lead. Erik Gustafsson’s shot from the point hit the crossbar then glanced off goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic’s back before landing in the crease. Compher got to the puck first and slid it home, giving the Wings the lead.

Dylan Larkin’s empty-net goal with 13.2 seconds left provided insurance. The goal ended a 15-game goal-scoring drought, finishing the scoring in Detroit’s 4-2 triumph.

Goaltender Alex Lyon stopped 23 shots to gain the victory, the second consecutive victory for the Wings (15-18-4) under McLellan, who also earned the 600th coaching victory of his NHL career.

“It was more about this group then it is about me,” McLellan said. “There are so many excited guys in there and happy guys right now. Just the whole mood is different than when we started, and that means more than the 600. Some of those guys weren’t even alive (when McLellan started his career) so it doesn’t matter to them.”

BOX SCORE: Red Wings 4, Penguins 2

Jonatan Berggren and O’Connor traded first-period goals, while Patrick Kane had a second-period power-play goal.

Berggren opened the scoring with his fifth goal. Vladimir Tarasenko threaded a pass through the Penguins’ defense to spring free Berggren, who whistled a shot between the hashmarks past Nedeljkovic at 7:52.

“I definitely think he’s right,” said Lyon of McLellan’s race to three goals theory. “But there’s a process. Getting that first one tonight is massive, and if you can put one on the board it creates a huge advantage. That’s the recipe in this league — you have to score and be smart and play the game the right way.

“A fine line of attacking but still playing smart at the same time.”

For the third consecutive game under McLellan, the Wings arguably had the better start. But they also were the busier team to begin the third period, which proved to be the difference.

“We’ve kind of set an early standing of coming out of the gate,” McLellan said. “We wanted to do it for the third time and it was just verbal (McLellan’s message), establish it and let’s go.”

Berggren had a goal and assist while playing 16 minutes, continuing a trend of more ice time under McLellan.

“I want to play more minutes, it’s fun to play a lot of minutes, but when you get more minutes you need to put pressure on (yourself) and I kind of like that,” Berggren said. “So keep it going.”

Berggren’s goal was somewhat fortunate.

“I forgot to change so I was a little late, but Vlade saw me coming there and it was a little bit of luck,” Berggren said. “Vlade made a real good pass and it helps a lot to score.”

The Penguins got to even toward the end of the period on O’Connor’s first goal of the game. Cody Glass found O’Connor open near the low circle, and O’Connor snapped a one-timer past Lyon at 18:29.

Kane regained the lead for the Wings’ in the second with his seventh goal, and fourth goal in the last seven games. Lucas Raymond (who had two assists) won a battle at the wall, got the puck to Alex DeBrincat, who found Kane alone for a one-timer at 3:41 of the second period.

The Wings held that lead heading into the third period, as Moritz Seider made a goal-mouth save during a scramble late in the second period.

“I just saw Mo make a big save, that’s pretty much it,” said Lyon of his angle on the play. “He saved a goal. Whenever a player sells out like that, helps me out, it’s just so appreciated. He does that all the time but all the guys laid it on the line and it showed up on the scoreboard.”

O’Connor scored his second goal of the game (fifth for the season), on the power play, at 3:18 of the third period, tying the game at 2-2. O’Connor, stationed net-front, jammed the puck past Lyon during a scramble.

The second consecutive victory for the Wings also was their second straight at Little Caesars Arena, where the Wings are attempting to climb over the .500 mark (9-10-2).

“You want to establish your home-ice advantage,” Lyon said. “You sleep in your own bed, and you’re not traveling the day before, to me that’s advantages you have to take care of. We have to keep it going on the road. We need to play a consistent brand of hockey that we haven’t found as much as we would have liked this season.

“But there’s a good feeling right now and we have to cultivate that.”

tkulfan@detroitnews.com

@tkulfan

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