DETROIT — 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.
Bertuzzi put in a loose puck from just outside the crease for his eighth goal of the season. His first goal, which came with 8:56 left in the second period and gave the Red Wings a 3-0 lead, also came from in front of the net as Bertuzzi knocked a rebound out of the air and in with the lower part of the shaft of his stick.
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"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, defenceman 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.
NOTES: Detroit defenceman Trevor Daley left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. .. St. Louis LW Alexander Steen returned after missing six games with an upper-body injury. … Detroit D Jonathan Eriksson returned after missing 11 games with an undisclosed injury. … The Red Wings dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen.
NEXT UP:
Blues: At Colorado on Friday night.
Red Wings: At Boston on Saturday night.
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