DETROIT (AP) — Tyler Bertuzzi doesn’t mind going into areas where there will be more physical play, like in front of the net, the corners and behind the net. That was a good thing for the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.
Bertuzzi broke a tie with 6:53 to go with his second goal of the game and Detroit held on to beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 after blowing a 3-0 lead.
And his heroics came on Tyler Bertuzzi bobblehead night.
“I love him as a player. He competes,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said about Bertuzzi, the nephew of former NHL player Todd Bertuzzi, who also played for the Red Wings.
Tyler Bertuzzi said he’s has not changed as a player.
“As you go up in leagues it’s harder to maybe toe drag or dangle,” he said. “So I’ve adapted to just play hard and go to the net that’s where a lot of goals are created.”
Thomas Vanek had a goal and an assist, Andreas Athanasiou also scored, defenseman Mike Green had two assists and Jimmy Howard made 33 saves to help Detroit snap a three-game losing streak.
David Perron scored twice for St. Louis, Vladimir Tarasenko added a goal and Jake Allen stopped 27 shots. The Blues have lost five of their last six.
“They have a lot of speed and they really took it to us in the first half of the game,” Allen said. “We didn’t flip the switch until it was already 3-0.
Perron tied it at 3 at 8:04 of the third with his eighth goal.
The Red Wings led 3-2 after a five-goal second period.
Detroit scored three times in 6:42 to take a 3-0 lead in the middle period. Vanek made it 1-0 4:22 into the period with his third goal, and Athanasiou followed at 7:17 with his 11th goal. Bertuzzi made it 3-0 with 8:56 left in the second with his first goal of the game.
But St. Louis scored two power-play goals in 1:39 to pull to within one. Perron put the Blues on the board with 6:23 left in the second period with his first of the game, and Tarasenko made it 3-2 with 4:44 remaining in the period.
NEXT UP:
Blues: At Colorado on Friday night.
Red Wings: At Boston on Saturday night.
Photo credit – Carlos Osorio / Associated Press / Detroit, MI
