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Detroit Wins Series 4-2

Game Recaps

Henrik Zetterberg took advantage of a questionable call, scoring at 6:54 of the third period to break a 1-1 tie as the Red Wings beat the Predators, 3-1 at Joe Louis Arena Thursday.

On the play, the Predators had thought that they had cleared the zone. The referee ruled that it hadn't, and Zetterberg pounced.

"We cleared the puck and it look like it hit the linesman and came back in (to the zone)," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said.

"Usually in that situation, the linesmen or the referee blow that to not give an unfair advantage."

Zetterberg explained it away as a "lucky bounce," one which won the game for the Wings.

The Central Division rivals played a tightly-drawn match.

Johan Franzen opened the scoring at 5:58 of the first period for the Wings. followed by Jordan Tootoo's tally at 17:47 of the second.

The Wings doubled the Predators' shot total, outshooting the Preds, 40-20.

Detroit leads 1-0

Tomas Holmstrom converted a Pavel Datsyuk pass and blasted a shot from the high slot to the top corner of the net at 10:03 of the third period as the Wings won 4-2, opening up a 2-0 series lead over the Predators at Joe Louis Arena Saturday afternoon.

The Predators, who trailed 2-0 in the second period after Darren McCarty and Nick Lidstrom scored, got two goals in a span of eleven seconds from Alex Radulov and Jordin Tootoo to even the score at two.

Kris Draper's goal at 5:00 of the second frame proved to be the winner.

Ryan Suter, Jason Arnott and Markek Zidlicky were called for penalties late in the third period, squelching any hope of a Nashville comeback.

Also crushing comeback hopes was the play of Dominik Hasek, the 43 year-old netminder proving his worth again, stopping 25 of 27 Predator shots. Dan Ellis of the Preds stopped 34 of 38.

Detroit leads 2-0

The Nashville Predators got two goals in nine seconds to topple the Red Wings at Sommet Center Monday.

With the Wings leading 3-2 late in the third period, Ryan Suter blasted a point shot past Dominik Hasek at 16:02 and Jason Arnott put one past the Wings netminder at 16:11.

The Wings had pulled ahead, 3-2 on an unassisted Pavel Datsyuk goal at :40 of the third. Had the Wings won, they would have gone up, 3-0 in the series. In what may prove a pivotal moment Monday, the Preds cut their series lead to 2-1.

Hasek stopped 24 of 28 shots; Dan Ellis of Nashville stopped 23 of 26.

Detroit leads 2-1

Dan Hamhuis and Shea Weber scored 32 seconds apart in the first period as the Nashville Predators won both home games against the Detroit Red Wings to even their series at two apiece Wednesday night at the Sommet Center.

Pavel Datsyuk scored on the power play at 6:24 to draw the Wings within one, but just eleven seconds later, another Nashville defenseman, Greg De Vries, scored to restore the Preds' two goal lead.

Datsyuk scored his second goal of the night at 3:24 of the third but the Predators and their 27 year-old rookie goaltender, Dan Ellis, shut down the Wings the rest of the way.  The Wings outshot the Preds, 41-27.

Series tied 2-2

Johan Franzen beat upstart Nashville netminder Dan Ellis on the backhand at 1:48 into overtime, lifting Detroit to a 2-1 win over Nashville and a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

Ellis was spectacular in stopping 52 of 54 Detroit shots.

Chris Osgood, starting in place of Dominik Hasek, stopped 20 Predators shots.

Valtteri Filppula scored for the Wings at 4:20 of the first to open the scoring.

The lead held until Radek Bonk scored his first goal of the postseason with just 44 seconds left in regulation.

Both penalty kill units were 3-for-3 on the night.

Detroit leads 3-2

Nicklas Lidstrom scored from center ice when his long shot took a fortunate hop and beat Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis.  It gave the Wings a 1-0 lead at 13:44 of the second period, and it was all the Wings would need to eliminate Nashville in six games at Sommet Center Sunday.

"I took a little off (the shot) so that it would bounce in front of him," said Lidstrom.

The Wings' fourth line of Darren McCarty, rookie Darren Helm and Jiri Hudler connected for the Wings' second goal, at 3:52 of the third.  Brian Rafalski scored into an empty net to make the final 3-0.

Chris Osgood recorded his eleventh playoff shutout, while counterpart Dan Ellis of Nashville again gave his team a chance to win, stopping 40 of 43 Detroit shots.

Detroit clamped down defensively after Lidstrom's goal and now await the winners from the remaining Western Conference series.

Detroit Wins Series 4-2