Clutch Goals, Goaltending Lead Wings Over Bruins

Clutch goaltending from Red Wings backup netminder Manny Legace and timely goals from Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov lifted Detroit to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins Thursday night. The win was the Red Wings’ first in four games, ending a three-game mini-slump.

Lidstrom scored the Wings’ first goal of the night just past the midway point of the third period. While on the power play, Lidstrom skated into the slot and rifled a one-timer past Boston netminder John Grahame. The goal tied the game at one at was the first Red Wings goal in over 121 minutes of play across three games.

Boston’s Joe Thornton had opened the scoring at 5:16 of the third. Detroit defenseman Mathieu Dandenault mishandled the puck, Thornton jumped past him and moved in on Legace, beating him to put the Bruins up by a goal.

Late in regulation, Red Wing Brendan Shanahan was sent off for high sticking Jozef Stumple, a penalty that would carry into the overtime period.

Legace kept the Wings alive in overtime, making several outstanding saves including a sprawling stop on a shot by Thornton from the doorstep. With Shanahan’s penalty killed off, the Red Wings jumped back onto the offensive.

At the 2:08 mark of overtime, Sergei Fedorov jumped off the bench on a line change and raced into the Boston zone. The puck came to him and he ripped a slap shot past Grahame to give Detroit the victory.

“Just changing, and the puck came between our players,” Fedorov said. “I just walked in, picked up the pass and I shot it. I knew it would be short side. Good change.”

Legace stopped thirty-three of the Bruins’ thirty-four shots in the win, while Grahame made twenty-six saves on twenty-eight shots.

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Curtis Joseph did not start the game because of the flu… Kris Draper took a high stick to the face late in the second period; he returned for the third… Steve Yzerman skated with the Red Wings Thursday morning, but is still expected to be out until January.