Red Wings’ Streak Reaches Four

The Detroit Red Wings won their fourth-straight game Tuesday night, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 to pick up just their second win in six games this season against their Central Division and Original Six rival.

Rookie goaltender Corey Crawford kept the Blackhawks in the game, stopping 44 of the 46 shots he faced, but couldn’t do it all.

Kirk Maltby got the Red Wings on the board at 8:34 of the first period.

Playing in his 1,000th career game Dallas Drake picked up his 300th career assist on the play, knocking down a Chicago defender on his way behind the net, then taking the puck from him and sending it out to Maltby for a one-timer that was stopped by Crawford but dropped down just across the goal line.

The Blackhawks pulled even just 2:09 later when Rene Bourque one-timed a long rebound chance past Chris Osgood.

Halfway through the second period, Osgood stopped former Red Wing Robert Lang on a penalty shot attempt, setting the stage for Pavel Datsyuk to put Detroit back out in front with 4:08 left in the period.

An attempted outlet pass up the middle by the Blackhawks was tipped by Jiri Hudler and picked off by Datsyuk. He skated into the high slot all alone and snapped a shot that deflected off of defender Brent Seabrook and past Crawford.

The Blackhawks would pressure late in the third peroid but Johan Franzen added an empty-net goal to wrap the game for Detroit.

Osgood stopped 19 of 20 shots to earn the win in his first start in five games.

Neither team scored on the power play, with each team getting two attempts.