But Detroit waited until the decision became virtually unavoidable. The Red Wings lost five straight from Nov. 29 through Dec. 7, then three more into the Christmas break, culminating with a 4-0 home loss to the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 23 with fans booing the team off the ice.

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored and added an assist and Alex Lyon made 28 saves as the Detroit Red Wings downed the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Wednesday night. Jonatan Berggren, J.T. Compher, Alex DeBrincat and Marco Kasper also scored for the Red Wings who won their third straight.

The Red Wings aren't simply checking off the final days of the schedule, they are closing the season on a positive note.