Osgood Returns as Wings Beat Blackhawks

Chris Osgood made his first start for the Red Wings since 2000, helping them beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2, for their eighth straight win. It was also a homecoming of another sort for the Wings’ Brett Lebda, who was playing his first NHL game in his hometown of Chicago.

With the game tied at 2-2 early in the third period, and the Wings on the power play, Robert Lang stepped in front of a bad clearing attempt by the Blackhawks’ Jason Morgan. Lang then snapped the game winning goal from the right slot past Nikolai Khabibulin at 4:39 of the period.

The Wings had jumped out to an early lead, just three and a half minutes in, when Kirk Maltby was left alone in the slot to take a feed from Steve Yzerman at the left half boards.

The Blackhawks tied the game at 1-1 in the opening minutes of the second period. Tyler Arnason took a deflected pass that had squirted out from behind Osgood who was turned around and facing the left corner, coming out to cut down the angle on the rush.

Less than three minutes later the Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead on a goal from Kyle Calder, taking a pass from Matt Ellison behind the net.

The Blackhawks’ lasted less then four minutes as Mikael Samuelsson scored a power play goal off a rebound, tying the game at 2-2.

The Red Wings’ fourth goal was an empty-netter from Henrik Zetterberg with 28 seconds left in the game.

Osgood faced 25 shots, stopping 23, while Khabibulin stopped 32 of the Wings’ 36 shots. Both goalies had to come up with some great saves. The Wings’ two power play goals came on eight chances, while the Blackhawks couldn’t capitalize on their four power play chances.

The Wings and Blackhawks head back to Detroit to play their third game in a row Tuesday night.