DETROIT (AP) — Riley Sheahan had two goals and Henrik Zetterberg scored in his 1,000th NHL game, helping the Detroit Red Wings beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 Sunday in a party-like atmosphere for the final game at Joe Louis Arena.
Zetterberg put Detroit up 3-0 midway through the second period following Sheahan’s and Tomas Tatar’s goals in the first. Sheahan didn’t have a goal in his first 79 games this year but scored his second of the game with 2:33 left to bring fans to their feet, where they stayed for the game.
Jimmy Howard stopped 24 shots for the Red Wings, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1990 to end a postseason streak that tied for the third longest in league history.
Cory Schneider made 31 saves for the Devils, who haven’t earned a spot in the postseason since advancing to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals.
