Here are 10 takeaways from the game:
1. Just one change was made to the New Jersey lineup against Detroit. Up front, Joey Anderson was inserted into the fold with Kurtis Gabriel coming out. Anderson was called up on Monday and has not dressed since. The Minnesota-native played with the USHL National Development Team in the near-by Plymouth, Michigan.
The 20-year-old forward played on a line with Miles Wood and Pavel Zacha where he played 11:33 with two shots on goal and registered five hits to match a career-high set back on November 9th against Toronto.
2. The first period ended with New Jersey trailing Detroit 1-0. The Devils also trailed in the shot advantage category with the Red Wings firing 15 at Mackenzie Blackwood in net for New Jersey. After 20 minutes of play, the Devils trailed 15 to 8 in shots, with Kyle Palmieri accounting for three of those eight shots. It was a rather physical affair to begin the game, with the Devils leading the charge in the hit department by a 19-7 edge. Anderson had four of those first-period hits.
3. The Red Wings once again found the back of the net in the second period, to put themselves up 2-0 on New Jersey after 40 minutes of play. Dylan Larkin scored for Detroit at 2:12 in the second. Despite the score, Blackwood continued to be peppered with shots by Detroit, making another 10 saves on 11 shots for a total of 24 saves on 26 shots.
4. After two periods of play, the Devils were out-hitting the Red Wings 33-17. Kyle Palmieri took over the charge from Anderson with five hits after 40 minutes.
5. The Devils were held without a goal in the first forty minutes after firing 21 shots at Detroit's Jonathan Bernier. The final 20 minutes were played facing Jimmy Howard in the Detroit net after Bernier left the game to start the third period. Howard made seven saves in the third period.
6. Blake Coleman finished the game with eight hits against Detroit, marking a new career-high for the Texan-native. Coleman had eight of the Devils 44 hits.
7. For Blackwood, three of last his past five losses - including Friday night - have come with zero goal support from his teammates. The Devils were shut out in appearances against Washington, Boston and now Detroit with Blackwood in net.
8. The Devils and Red Wings were playing by the rules against one another with just two infractions called all night. Both the Devils and Red Wings took one penalty each, with both penalty kills going 1-for-1.
9. There are plenty of connections between the Devils and Red Wings when it comes to their lineups and coaching staffs. Devils captain Andy Greene is a native of Trenton, Michigan and spent four seasons playing for Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill at Miami University from 2002-06. Blake Coleman was also coached by Blashill when he was the head coach of the USHL's Indiana Ice in 2009-10. Other connections include Stefan Noesen and Connor Carrick both having played for the OHL's Plymouth Whalers, while Devils assistant coach Mike Grier is a Detroit native.
10. New Jersey's season will wind down over the next week and half with just four games left on the schedule. On Saturday night the Devils will play their final Western Conference opponent of the season when they welcome the St. Louis Blues to Prudential Center, followed by a Monday night matchup with the Rangers in the final home game of the season. New Jersey will then travel to Carolina and Florida for their remaining two games of the year.
