The Detroit Red Wings have had an up and down season, and entering tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils, sat atop the Eastern Conference rankings. In many ways, tonight was a good eye test for a Detroit team looking to find their own brand of consistent, winning hockey. Especially against a Devils team that seems to bring the best hockey and worst attitude out of the Red Wings.

It started when J.T. Compher caught Nico Hischier looking the other way trying to breakout for a scoring chance near center ice. Compher caught with an elbow that sent Hischier into the boards headfirst, earning a boarding penalty and briefly sending the Devils’ captain into the locker room. The Red Wings killed the ensuing power play and had an opportunity to score when they forced a turnover just as Compher was sprung from the box. Unfortunately, Compher was unable to capitalize on yet another breakaway chance. He was sent back into the penalty box with a fighting major alongside Stephen Noesen, which put the Red Wings on a power play they could not capitalize on.

Getting Behind

Shortly after Hischier returned to the ice, Timo Meier tipped his shot in to get the Devils up 1-0. Alex Debrincat tied it for the Red Wings with just under three and a half minutes to play. New Jersey responded with a goal a minute and a half later from Hischier to put the Devils up 2-1, and then  tacked another on with a Cody Glass tip in. Down 3-1 going into the second, James Van Riemsdyk got a backhand chip in to make it 3-2 shortly into the period.

However, the Devils would get their two goal lead back before the halfway point of the period when Connor Brown scored. That came off of  a Travis Hamonic turnover behind the net where the puck was poke-checked into a pass behind him with no other defender near Cam Talbot’s blindside.

The Red Wings would make 4-3 midway through the third when Lucas Raymond’s shot hit the inside of the net and rebounded right behind Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom- And right in front of Dylan Larkin’s stick. The Red Wings captain leads the team in points.

The Outtake

The game was capped off with a couple of scattered scrums around the net after the Red Wings failed to pull off the comeback tonight. The Red Wings are still finding their footing. After a comeback win against the Jets (boy those Midwest teams are having a rough go against Detroit), Detroit were poised to get some momentum playing a Devils team missing some of its starpower. Instead, they weren’t able to overcome a Devils team that held the lead the entire game. No matter how the Red Wings fought tonight, with their sticks or with their fists, they couldn’t get ahead, or catch up to the Devils.

Instead, it was the same issues as normal. A lack of depth scoring, defensive lapses, and a team that couldn’t stay out of its own way and capitalize on the biggest chances.