Valtteri Filppula scored 5:32 into the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and give the Detroit Red Wings a 3-1 win over New Jersey.
Johan Franzen and Darren Helm also potted goals for Detroit, which beat New Jersey for the ninth consecutive time at Joe Louis Arena. Jimmy Howard had a strong showing, stopping 23 of 24 shots.
Brian Rolston scored the lone goal for the Devils, who are dead last in the NHL with 35 points. Martin Brodeur made 26 saves as New Jersey saw its four-game winning streak snapped.
Filppula deposited the game-winner by one timing a pass from Jiri Hudler into an empty net past a diving Brodeur for his 12th goal of the season. Franzen scored an insurance goal with 46 seconds left in the game, his team-leading 21st of the year, using some nifty stick work to sneak up the middle of the ice and fire a shot through Brodeur.
Helm opened the scoring less than two minutes into the first period, stealing a pass at the New Jersey blue line and firing a shot over Brodeur’s left arm on the ensuing breakaway.
Rolston tied it at the 6:35 mark of the frame, jabbing a loose puck under a sprawled Nicklas Lidstrom in the Red Wings’ goal mouth after an Anton Volchenkov shot found its way through Howard.
Detroit will get a much needed four day break for the All Star festivities this weekend, time they will use to get some key players back in the lineup. Detroit expects to have forwards Dan Cleary and Pavel Datsyuk available for their next game in Ottawa, and Tomas Holmstrom shortly thereafter.