Red Wings Hold Off Predators for 5-2 Win

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15 years ago

The Detroit Red Wings jumped out to a 4-0 lead Friday night and held on for a 5-2 win over the visiting Nashville Predators.

The Predators had pulled back to within two goals early in the third period but Henrik Zetterberg scored into the empty net in the game’s closing seconds to wrap things up.

Pavel Datsyuk opened the game’s scoring 7:44 into the first period. Datsyuk caught up with Nashville defenseman Kevin Klein behind the Predators’ net, poked the puck away from him as they wrapped around the side of the goal, then faked out goalie Dan Ellis at the top of the crease before backhanding a shot into the net over Ellis’ glove.

Tomas Holmstrom gave the Wings a 2-0 lead with 6:00 remaining in the period on a Detroit power play. Nicklas Lidstrom threw the puck on net from the right wing and it bounced off a Nashville defender to Holmstrom on the far side of a wide open net.

Darren Helm scored just 3:35 into the second period to extend Detroit’s lead. He gloved the puck down in the left faceoff circle and cut to the high slot before spinning around and snapping a shot off of Ellis’ shoulder and in.

Helm added a shorthanded goal at 9:10 of the middle period. He raced down the left wing to fire a shot that was stopped by Ellis. Helm continued driving to the goal and snatched up the rebound after Ryan Suter couldn’t control it, lifting a shot over the sprawling Ellis.

The Predators got on the board 1:44 later, when J.P. Dumont scored on a three-on-one.

Joel Ward made it 4-2 at 3:15 of the third period, blasting a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard after the Red Wings failed to clear their own zone.

Howard finished the night with 20 saves on 22 Nashville shots. Ellis stopped 27 of Detroit’s 31 chances.

Detroit finished the night 1-for-3 on the power play while Nashville was scoreless on four chances with the extra attacker.

The Red Wings played the game in their road white jerseys… The assist by Lidstrom on Holmstrom’s goal was the 800th of his career.