Pulkkinen-Bertuzzi rally Wings past Pens

A pair of Red Wings hopefuls helped their cause with four-point efforts Thursday (Sept. 24) as the Wings hosted and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-1 in 2015-16 pre-season play at the Joe Louis Arena.

Selected in the Fourth Round (111th Overall), Teemu Pulkkinen has bided his time at Grand Rapids while inching toward Motown. He played three games in Detroit two seasons ago and last year was in town for 31. He is making it more difficult to send him back to Grand Rapids with games like this one as he scored two goals and added two assists.

Tyler Bertuzzi, taken in the Second Round (58th Overall) is still eligible to play junior this season, but he also enjoyed a big night, scoring the team’s first goal and then later playing a set up role on three more.

Defensemen Brendan Smith and Alexey Marchenko both picked up assists on Bertuzzi’s goal with 6:37 to play in the opening period, and another prospect, Dylan Larkin, a First Round Selection (15th Overall) in 2014 scored another just over three minutes later from Pulkkinen and Johan Franzen who was playing in his first game since Jan. 6.

Pulkkinen added one more before the end of the session from Bertuzzi and Ryan Sproul, a defenseman taken in the Second Round (55th Overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Drew Miller tipped in the loan second period goal off of a shot by Brian Lashoff with Nick Jensen, 25, selected by the Wings in the Fifth Round (150th Overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Pulkkinen added another early in the third from Jensen and Bertuzzi before Beau Bennett finally got the Pens on the board, shattering the shutout bid of Jimmy Howard with 9:16 to go.

Larkin wrapped it up with his goal, 10 seconds from the final buzzer, from Bertuzzi and Pulkkinen, who by coincidence were also named as the Game’s three stars.

Howard stopped 34 of 35 shots to nail down the win and Matthew Murray stopped 21 of 27 for the Penguins.

The Red Wings will stay on home ice and host the Boston Bruins in its next pre-season test on Saturday (Sept. 26).