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Lebda lifts Red Wings to eighth straight win

Feb 6, 2008 - 6:01 AM ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- Defenseman Brett Lebda scored just 97 seconds into overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings their eighth consecutive victory, a 3-2 triumph over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

Johan Franzen and Daniel Cleary also scored for the Red Wings, who are now one victory shy of their season-best nine-game winning streak set from October 18-November 9.

Six-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek made 24 saves to improve his career record against the Wild to 10-0-0 with two ties.

Brian Rolston and Pavol Demitra scored for Minnesota, which had won three in a row.

"It's a tough one to swallow," Wild center Eric Belanger said. "But we did a lot of good things and we got a point. It might be a big point at the end of the year."

"We played our best game of the year, there's no doubt," Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire added. "It's disappointing, but I'm really happy (with) the way our players responded through the whole game. We played hard. We got a point. If you would have asked me before the game if I would take a point, I would say, 'Yes, and let's get to the next game.'"

In overtime, Henrik Zetterberg fed a hard-charging Lebda in the slot, and the blue-liner beat goaltender Niklas Backstrom for his third goal of the season.

"I saw a chance to jump back door, and (Zetterberg) made a great pass and put it right on my tape," Lebda said. "Zetterberg and Cleary did a great job of stripping the puck right inside the blue line."

"It was a good play for them," Backstrom said. "They had the momentum after they tied the game. They were a tough team going into the overtime, but we can't think about that. We have to (be) ready."

While Cleary also received an assist on the game-winner, it was his sharp-angle goal with 80 seconds remaining in the third period that turned the tide.

With Minnesota nursing a 2-1 lead, Cleary - stationed just outside the left faceoff circle - wristed a shot just inside the left goalpost for his 20th of the season.

Franzen opened the scoring midway through the first period.

After his initial point-blank shot was denied with a brilliant pad save by Backstrom, Franzen regained the puck in the left circle and blasted it past the Finnish netminder for his 10th goal.

Rolston leveled the contest 72 seconds later, setting the franchise record in the process by scoring a goal in his six consecutive game. Rolston skated in from the corner and deked Hasek to the ice before sliding the puck under the netminder's arm for his 20th goal of the campaign.

Demitra gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead just 5:36 into the second period. Pierre-Marc Bouchard fired a cross-ice feed to the Slovakian, who blasted a shot from the left circle over the left shoulder of Hasek for his 11th goal.

That was all the Wild could muster, as Hasek made several saves to keep it a one-goal game.

"Hasek was the difference tonight," Lemaire said. "I think we could have scored four or five goals. He was outstanding at times, but we also had great chances."

"We know we didn't have our stuff," Lebda said. "We didn't have the jump we normally have, but that's why we have Dom back there. Dom played an unbelievable game and kept us in there the whole time. He gave us a chance to win tonight, and he's got to be credited for it."

Although his team emerged victorious, Detroit coach Mike Babcock did not like the way it played in the game's first 40 minutes.

"We weren't Red Wing-like, in my opinion, for the first two periods," Babcock said. "We're a better hockey team than that."