J.T. Compher scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 5:34 remaining as the host Detroit Red Wings topped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Detroit coach Todd McLellan, who replaced Derek Lalonde last week, recorded his 600th career victory. He improved to 2-1-0 behind the Red Wings’ bench this season.
Compher and Jonatan Berggren each had a goal and an assist while Patrick Kane and Dylan Larkin also scored for Detroit. Alex Lyon made 23 saves.
Drew O’Connor notched the second multi-goal game of his career for Pittsburgh. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 21 shots.
Detroit won the season series 2-1.
Compher scored the decisive tally with Erik Karlsson in the penalty box for tripping. Compher tipped the puck into the net after Erik Gustafsson hit the post with a shot from the point.
Larkin added an empty-netter with 14 seconds to play.
The Red Wings opened the scoring at 7:52 of the first period. Vladimir Tarasenko made a perfect lead pass from his own zone past center ice to Berggren for a breakaway. Berggren went top shelf to beat Nedeljkovic. Compher was credited with the secondary assist on the play.
Pittsburgh tied the game with 1:31 remaining in the period. O’Connor’s slap shot from the right circle off a feed from Cody Glass beat Lyon on the short side.
Detroit regained the lead on a power play at 3:41 of the second. With Glass in the penalty box for tripping, Kane zipped a shot from the right circle past Nedeljkovic’s glove. Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond collected assists on the goal.
Pittsburgh’s potent power play, which produced six goals in the Penguins’ previous three games, got its first opportunity about midway through the middle period when Larkin was whistled for holding. The Red Wings managed to kill off the man advantage.
Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider preserved the 2-1 lead in the closing seconds of the second period, blocking two shots from Anthony Beauvillier with Lyon out of position during a scramble around the goal crease.
With Jeff Petry in the penalty box, the Penguins’ special teams unit produced on its second opportunity early in the third. O’Connor shoveled in a rebound despite being knocked to his knees at 3:18.
–Field Level Media
