• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Soderberg, Bruins top Red Wings

Dec 30, 2014 - 5:39 AM Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Carl Soderberg posted a goal and an assist as the Boston Bruins topped the Detroit Red Wings, 5-2, on Monday.

Reilly Smith, Gregory Campbell, Seth Griffith and Chris Kelly also scored for the Bruins, who bounced back from Saturday's 6-2 loss to Columbus despite missing injured forwards Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic.

"That's what I wanted to see from our team," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. "It's the kind of game that we need."

Tuukka Rask made 28 saves.

Justin Abdelkader and Tomas Tatar each lit the lamp for the Red Wings, who had a two-game winning streak halted. Jimmy Howard stopped 40 shots in defeat.

"We've been walking that fine line here for a little bit," said Howard. "We have to find a way to start on time. There have been too many times this year where we wait until the second period to get going."

Griffith gave the Bruins a two-goal cushion on the power play at 5:11 of the third period. David Krejci skated to below the goal line, dragging a defender with him before finding Griffith at the left circle. Griffith had plenty of space to work with as he snapped a shot over the glove of Howard for a 4-2 lead.

Detroit pulled Howard with just under three minutes to play, but Kelly scored on the empty net to seal the win.

Smith opened the scoring with a blast from the right point past a screened Howard 2:44 into the opening stanza. Detroit responded at 11:21 as Abdelkader's off-balanced backhander tied the game.

Less than five minutes later, Torey Krug hit the far post with a shot from the left circle. A disorganized Red Wings defense failed to clear the puck in front and Campbell was there to fire the rebound home for a 2-1 lead.

Howard was out of position on Kevan Miller's missed shot. Loui Eriksson gathered the lose puck behind the net and sent it to Soderberg, who wristed it off the netminder's pad to make it a 3-1 game 1:13 later.

The Red Wings had a goal waved off with 1:02 to play in the opening stanza after Tatar hit the puck in with a high stick.

Tatar did, however, get Detroit within a goal as his shot from the top of the right circle snuck past a screened Rask on the power play for a 3-2 contest with 4:50 to play in the middle frame.

Game Notes

The Bruins a season-high 45 shots on net ... Boston improved to 10-2-2 over their last 14 games on home ice ... Edmonton claimed forward Matt Fraser off waivers from the Bruins on Monday. Boston recalled forward Matt Lindblad from Providence (AHL) to take his roster spot ... The Bruins scored three times in the opening stanza for the first time this season.