DETROIT — Andreas Athanasiou tied it midway through the third period and scored 49 seconds into overtime to lift the Detroit Red Wings over the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Jimmy Howard stopped 34 shots and Tyler Bertuzzi also scored for Detroit, which has won nine of 11 and is over .500 (10-9-2) for the first time this season.
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Chris Wagner scored for Boston, which lost for only the third time to the Red Wings in the last 18 meetings (15-1-2). Tuukka Rask made 24 saves.
Athanasiou got control of a loose puck in the slot during overtime, spun around and beat Rask for hits team-leading ninth goal.
Athanasiou tied it 8:59 into the third when he put in the rebound of Gustav Nyquist’s shot from the left circle off the rush.
Wagner made it 2-1 6:45 into the third when he tipped Sean Kuraly’s shot. It was Wagner’s second goal.
Forsbacka Karlsson gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 4:08 into the second period when he put in a loose puck from a goal-mouth scramble. It was Forsbacka Karlsson’s second goal.
Bertuzzi tied it at 1 9:48 into the middle period when he tipped defenceman Nik Jensen’s shot between Rask’s pads. It was Bertuzzi’s sixth goal.
NOTE: Boston D Kevan Miller returned after missing 13 games with a hand injury. … The Bruins were without several key players due to injuries including star C Patrice Bergeron (rib/sternoclavicular), D Zdeno Chara (lower body) and D Charlie McAvoy (concussion). … LW Thomas Vanek returned for Detroit after missing eight games with a knee injury. … The Red Wings recalled C Christoffer Ehn from AHL Grand Rapids.
UP NEXT:
Boston: Hosts Pittsburgh on Friday night.
Detroit: Visits Washington on Friday night.
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Paul Harris, The Associated Press