Red Wings Blank Oilers to Win Seventh-Straight

The Detroit Red Wings picked up their seventh victory in as many games Wednesday night, holding the Edmonton Oilers scoreless en route to a 3-0.

The Red Wings set the tone for the game in the first period, going without a goal but holding the Oilers without a shot. Edmonton wouldn’t be credited with a chance on Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek until 20 seconds into the second period.

Dan Cleary’s third goal in the last two games put the Red Wings on the board 1:35 later, when he tipped a shot from the point by Kirk Maltby past Edmonton netminder Dwayne Roloson.

Henrik Zetterberg stretched the Wings’ lead to two at 2:57 of the third period, scoring a shorthanded, bad-angle goal after Roloson lost track of the puck on a Detroit 3-on-2.

Detroit’s power play finally clicked with 4:32 remaining in the game when Jiri Hudler banged home a rebound chance with the Oilers down a man.

Hasek needed to stop only 16 shots on the night while Roloson made 42 saves on 45 shots.

The Red Wings stopped six Edmonton power plays and scored on one of their seven chances with the extra attacker. Three of those power plays came in the final half of a third period that saw the Oilers frustrated.

Detroit dodged a bullet in the second period when Jason Williams took a shoulder to the head from Raffi Torres. Williams crashed to the ice, hitting his head again, and didn’t move.

After he was carried from the ice on a stretcher, it was announced that he would be fine and was being treated as a precautionary measure.