Shorthanded Wings Hold Off Flames

The Detroit Red Wings, already without defensemen Derian Hatcher, Chris Chelios and Jason Woolley and goaltenders Curtis Joseph and Dominik Hasek, lost center Kris Draper to injury during Wednesday’s morning skate and swingman Matheiu Dandenault in the first period of their matchup with the Calgary Flames. They still were able to build up a lead over Calgary and hold off a late-game push to get two much-needed points.

Draper is expected out for a month with a partially torn rotator cuff suffered when he collided with Joseph during the morning skate. Dandenault broke his right foot blocking a shot by Robyn Regehr late in the first period and is expected out for four-to-six weeks.

The Red Wings have battled injuries all season and were able to quickly adjust to having a depleted lineup.

After starting out slowly in the first period, Henrik Zetterberg opened the game’s scoring with 7:11 remaining in the second period. Zetterberg drove the net and picked up the rebound from a Mathieu Schneider shot. After bouncing a chance off Calgary goalie Roman Turek’s pads, he got his own rebound and knocked it into the net.

Mark Mowers, taken out of the Detroit lineup when the Red Wings traded for Robert Lang but brought back in when Draper went down, scored the eventual game-winner 8:02 into the third period. Breaking into the Calgary zone, Mowers flipped the puck past Flames’ defenseman Jordan Leopold and picked it up after breaking by him, effectively passing to himself. He broke in alone on Turek and lifted a backhander over his shoulder to put the Red Wings up by two.

Jarome Iginla pulled Calgary to within one with 4:59 remaining but the Flames couldn’t even things up.

Turek finished the game with 20 saves on 22 shots in net for the Flames, while Detroit’s Manny Legace stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced.

The Red Wings are next in action Friday when they host the Vancouver Canucks.