DETROIT — It got a bit itchy at the end, with a three-goal lead dwindling to just one by the game’s final seconds, but the Detroit Red Wings got back in the win column Tuesday night, snapping a four-game losing skid with a 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins.

It came from a collection of contributions from their back end, their bottom-six and their power play — important areas to see from a team that is perhaps over-reliant on its top players to begin the season. The Red Wings even chased Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman, and an early-season Vezina candidate, from the game.

Here’s what stood out Tuesday, and what it means as Detroit sets out on a six-game road trip.

1. It was another fantastic game from Moritz Seider, who is going beyond being the Red Wings’ No. 1 defenseman and putting himself in the conversation among the league’s best.

It was notable to see him in the top 10 among Norris Trophy candidates in Dom Luszczyszyn’s latest Awards Watch on Monday, but also not surprising. That’s how good Seider has been this season, sporting elite defensive impacts against his usual tough competition and raising his offensive profile as well.

Tuesday showed more of both of those components, as Seider tilted the ice to the tune of a 78.67 percent expected goals share at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, and added three points, including a goal.

Seider has become one of the rare true do-it-all defensemen in the NHL, something that was always within his capability but is fully showing on the ice. He’s always shown a willingness to block shots, finish hits and chip in offense, running Detroit’s No. 1 power play. He stands up for teammates and himself. But I’ve been especially struck recently by Seider’s maturity in knowing when to be assertive and use his “diesel engine,” as Red Wings coach Todd McLellan put it Tuesday morning, and when to back off and regroup to keep the game under his control.

Another interesting fact: Seider’s 67 shots in goal through 27 games amount to 2.48 per game. In his four full NHL seasons, he’s only been over two per game once, his rookie season, when he averaged 2.28.

No surprise, then, that he’s on pace for a career high in scoring one third of the way into the season.

2. Even beyond Seider, Detroit’s blue line as a whole made a positive impact on Tuesday’s game.

Seider’s defense partner, Simon Edvinsson, used his length well and didn’t back down from Boston’s heavy forwards (though he ended up with a minor penalty in one instance). Albert Johansson had a great stretch pass to set up the Red Wings’ first goal. And Ben Chiarot scored what may have been the Red Wings’ most important goal of the night, less than a minute after Boston scored to trim Detroit’s lead to 3-2. He gave the Red Wings some breathing room late in the second period.

Chiarot makes it 4-2! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/6dKC2FX8ZE

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 3, 2025

No less important, Jacob Bernard-Docker had six blocked shots, five of which came in the first 26 minutes of the game. Bernard-Docker has been in and out of the Red Wings’ lineup all year, typically rotating with Travis Hamonic. Still, the willingness to sacrifice his body Tuesday is one way to get the coaches’ attention as he vies for more ice time.

“There’s a big rally cry from teammates when individuals do that, and he was in front of a lot of them,” McLellan said. “And good for him. We need that. We need that from him. That has to be part of his game.”

The Red Wings don’t need their third defense pair to do anything flashy, but they do need it to be better than it’s been thus far. Stopping shots from reaching the crease is one way to help accomplish that.

3. Andrew Copp was another player who had an important night that won’t jump off the box score. He had a great screen on Seider’s goal, fully taking away Swayman’s eyes to help make it 2-0, and then drew a crowd to him through the middle on what eventually became an Alex DeBrincat goal to go up 3-0. Copp nearly had a goal of his own off a Patrick Kane feed on the rush, too.

He has been back up between DeBrincat and Kane recently, after the trio found success together last season before Copp suffered a season-ending injury. And while he didn’t get credit for an assist Tuesday, his impact stood out.

“I think when Copper goes to the net for those two, things happen,” McLellan said. “If Copper is off on the side of the net and looking for something over there, it doesn’t happen as much for the other two. When he goes (to the net), he takes a defenseman with him, so now there’s more ice for those two to move around in. So when he understands how to play with them, and I think he does, it helps them out.”

DeBrincat, too, pointed to the Copp’s ability at the net front, and also noted his ability to win battles down low to win pucks for the two highly creative wingers.

The Red Wings have tried all kinds of options at center between them this year, looking for consistency, and are still in that process. But Copp looked good there against the Bruins.

“I think we’ve maybe took a couple games, but I think we’re finding our stride,” DeBrincat said. “Hope to keep that going.”

4. James van Riemsdyk, meanwhile, had what might have been his most noticeable game as a Red Wing — part of a strong bottom-six effort on the whole for the team. van Riemsdyk scored the game’s first goal, taking Johansson’s stretch pass and beating Swayman glove side for a goal. van Riemsdyk nearly added another one soon after, with a great toe drag to beat his defender to create a backhand chance all alone, but Swayman denied the five-hole attempt.

“Came out flying,” Seider said. “That’s exactly what we need. We need everyone to chip in, and that was kind of his night tonight.”

Okkkk JVR 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/bCavZNC70X

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 3, 2025

Late in the game, van Riemsdyk also made a great pass on the backhand to set up Nate Danielson on the doorstep for a Grade-A chance that Bruins backup Joonas Korpisalo robbed. Danielson finished with a career-high five shots on goal; the line of him, Marco Kasper and Elmer Söderblom allowed minimal danger defensively.

McLellan was pleased with that line both games against Boston (including a shootout loss Saturday) and also praised Michael Rasmussen’s play in those games. However, Rasmussen left the game with an injury in the third period and did not return. McLellan said Rasmussen got “double hit (by) a couple heavy players” and was examined but didn’t have enough strength to return to the game. He will be re-evaluated Wednesday.

All year, the Red Wings have heavily depended on their top line (plus DeBrincat) for their offense. If they can get players such as van Riemsdyk, Danielson, Kasper and J.T. Compher going, it will make a big difference, especially on the road where they won’t be able to pick their matchups. Detroit needs those lines to win shifts.

5. As many positives as there were in Tuesday’s win, the final 5-4 margin speaks to how needlessly tight the game got late. The Bruins’ final goal came with just 9.7 seconds remaining, so it was never in doubt, but the Red Wings once again didn’t do enough to close the game out comfortably.

Dylan Larkin had a late turnover against the six-on-five that he’ll probably want back, and Detroit left another man free in the low slot for a goal. But part of the story was a pair of leaky goals against John Gibson again.

Gibson made some big saves in the win, but Boston’s first goal in particular came on an unscreened point shot that got through him. Then, the Bruins’ final tally came on another low shot that got underneath Gibson’s pad.

Detroit’s defense has been, at times, porous early this season, but if the Red Wings are going to elevate this season, part of that will have to come via improved play from Gibson. Tuesday marked the first time Gibson has been credited with a win since late October, and the Red Wings hope that will help him build confidence.

As the team heads out for a six-game road trip, with every point highly valuable, they’re going to need him.