Jesper Bratt, Devils eliminate Red Wings from playoff chase

Jesper Bratt's second goal broke a tie late in the third period and the New Jersey Devils rallied for a 5-3 win over the host Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

The loss eliminated the Red Wings from playoff contention.

Jesper Bratt added an assist, Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist and Cody Glass and Dawson Mercer also scored for the Devils (41-36-3, 85 points), who had seen their playoff hopes expire earlier in the week. Jake Allen stopped 25 shots.

Emmitt Finnie had a goal and an assist and defenseman Justin Faulk and David Perron also scored for Detroit (41-30-9, 91 points), which is 2-5-1 in its last eight. Dylan Larkin had two assists and John Gibson made 28 saves.

Larkin has nine points (four goals and five assists) in his last four games.

Bratt put New Jersey ahead 4-3 with 3:34 left when he scored from the bottom of the left circle on a 2-on-1 rush, off a pass from Hughes. Mercer added an empty-net goal with a minute remaining.

Glass tied the contest 3-3 by depositing a rebound with 8:42 left.

Finnie gave the Red Wings a 3-2 lead seven minutes into the third period when he put in a rebound.

Bratt tied the game 2-2 with 4:44 left in the second period with a screened shot from above the high slot, about 10 feet inside the blue line.

Perron put Detroit ahead 2-1 with 8:01 remaining in the middle period with a one-timer from the high slot that deflected off the stick of New Jersey defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic.

Glass hit the goal post with a little less than 2:40 left in the second.

Faulk opened the scoring 9:41 into the game when his shot from the right circle, off the rush, slipped through Allen's pads.

But Hughes tied it just 59 seconds later on New Jersey's first shot of the game. It came from the right circle on a 2-on-1 rush.

Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot hit the goal post at around the 8:15 mark.

--Field Level Media