Red Wings Fall to Predators in Rescheduled Matchup

The Detroit Red Wings scored the same number of goals as the Nashville Predators on Monday night but came away from the game with a loss in what is likely an NHL first.

The Predators started the game ahead by a goal, having been credited for the goal that Greg Johnson scored on November 21 before that game was postponed when Detroit defenseman Jiri Fischer collapsed on the bench.

Johnson’s goal, with assists to Ryan Suter and Scottie Upshall, was the only statistic retained from the postponed game. Upshall’s assist becomes an interesting statistic, as he did not play in the rescheduled game and is not currently on the Nashville roster, having been assigned to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League.

Although approximately seven minutes remained in the first period that night, the clock was reset for the makeup matchup.

The Predators scored the game’s first true goal to take a 2-0 lead at 3:56 of the first period. Steve Sullivan took a long pass from Danny Markov to start a breakaway into the Detroit zone before beating Red Wings’ goalie Manny Legace between the legs.

The Red Wings responded just 40 seconds into the second period with a power play goal just seconds after a five-on-three advantage ended.

Robert Lang flipped a rebound shot on net that seemed to bounce off the padding inside the net and back out. In the flurry that followed, Pavel Datsyuk put another rebound off Nashville netminder Tomas Vokoun and in.

Lang was credited with the goal after the first review but that was later overturned and Datsyuk’s goal was left standing.

Just 4:35 later, the Red Wings evened the game with another power play goal. With the teams skating four-on-three, Mathieu Schneider fired a one-timer from the top of the right circle that beat Vokoun.

At 9:30 of the period, the Predators pulled back ahead when Scott Hartnell tipped a shot from the point by Kimmo Timonen past Legace with Nashville on the power play.

After a scoreless second half of the game, Hartnell’s goal stood up as the game-winner.

Detroit went two-for-nine on the power play and stopped six of Nashville’s seven chances with the man-advantage, including one five-on-three. Detroit had two five-on-three opportunities on the night.

Legace faced only 14 shots on the night, making 12 saves. Vokoun turned aside 39 of the 41 shots he faced.

The Red Wings and Predators will meet again Tuesday night, also in Detroit.

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The game originally scheduled to be played in Nashville in place of this game has been rescheduled for March 30… Henrik Zetterberg returned to the Detroit lineup after missing two games with a hip flexor… The Predators are now just one point behind the Red Wings for first place in the Central Division.