DETROIT -- It was almost fitting that Red Wings legend Nick Lidstrom was in the house Friday night.
Not only did Lidstrom witness a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils, three of the four goals were scored by defensemen.
In Lidstrom's final two seasons, the defensive corps scored 85 goals.
Since Lidstrom retired, Detroit defensemen have scored 48 goals.
When you consider the Wings have struggled to score goals in general this season and they were without Pavel Datsyuk Friday because of a sore groin, the offense from the blue line was much-needed.
Jakub Kindl, who scored his first goal of the season Wednesday in New York, pulled the Wings into a 1-1 tie with the Devils with his power-play goal late in the first period.
"First of all, when I saw the replay I thought Helmer (Darren Helm) tipped it but he did a great screen," Kindl said. "I think their guy, it went off his stick or went off someone else's stick but luckily it went in."
It's the first time in Kindl's career he has scored in back-to-back games.
"I think the last time I did that was back in juniors," Kindl said. "It feels good but again I'm glad we got the W. The goal was just a bonus."
With Kyle Quincey out with an ankle injury, Kindl is getting more of an opportunity.
"That's good for him," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We keep talking about it, it's an opportunity for him to grab ice time. We put him back on the power play. It's basically up to him and if he plays well, you get more and if you don't, you get less."
Just 33 seconds after Kindl scored, Brendan Smith got his first goal of the season.
"It's been tough to put the puck in the mesh there for a little bit here," Smith said. "I've had some good chances. A lot of guys have fed me a lot of times but I haven't been able to bury one. So getting one there was really good."
It was Smith's first goal since April 8 at Buffalo.
Johan Franzen interrupted the defensemen's scoring with a power-play goal midway through the second period.
But the Wings then got a lucky one from Niklas Kronwall, one that probably reminded some of Lidstrom.
Kronwall shot the puck off the boards behind Devils goaltender Cory Schneider and the puck bounced back off of Schneider and into the net. Lidstrom would often use the Joe Louis Arena boards, looking for a good bounce.
"I think we needed that," Smith said. "I felt on the road, especially right off the bat when we played Buffalo, the bounces weren't going our way. We couldn't put it in the back of the net. And tonight, to see a goal like Kronner's, we finally got some bounces that way. Those help for sure and we've been looking for some of those and we got them."
There was not a lot Schneider could do.
"You're aware of it (the lively boards at JLA)," he said. "Probably the only rink where it could have gone in. I tried to get my skate back there but I think it came off (the boards) in the air."
For the Wings' forwards, it was nice to have some scoring help when they couldn't put the puck in.
Riley Sheahan had five shots on goal but nothing to show for it.
"Kindl's on a little streak now, Kronwall with the one goal, it definitely helps," Sheahan said. "We try to get as many chances as possible but for them to step up and score some big goals, it's definitely awesome."
Babcock said he didn't have any idea how long Datsyuk would be out, but if the Wings can continue to get offense from the blue line, they can hang on for a while without him.
