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Red Wings overcome Predators in third period

Mar 21, 2008 - 5:54 AM By Jim Diamond PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- The Western Conference-leading Detroit Red Wings answered a furious third-period charge with one of their own en route to their 49th win of the season, a 6-3 triumph over the Nashville Predators on Thursday.

All-Star Pavel Datsyuk netted a pair of goals and Johan Franzen added a tally and an assist for the Red Wings (49-20-6), who moved seven points ahead of the idle San Jose Sharks (44-21-9) in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

Alexander Radulov scored twice and J.P. Dumont recorded a pair of assists for Nashville (36-31-8), which remained four points shy of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

The Red Wings entered the third with a 3-1 lead, but Radulov and Martin Erat scored just over two minutes apart to tie the game early in the period. However, Franzen netted his ninth goal in as many games at 7:45 to put Detroit ahead for good, firing a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that sneaked under goaltender Chris Mason's right arm.

"I think they got mixed up who was going to take me," Franzen said. "I got a little bit of room to take it to the net and got a shot off as soon as I could."

Datsyuk put the game out of reach by tallying twice in the final 5:06. The Russian made it 5-3 at 14:54 with his 29th goal of the season before adding an empty-netter with 54 seconds to play.

In the third meeting between the teams in 12 days, Nashville took a 1-0 lead as Radulov scored with 3:11 to go in the opening period. His shot from the right faceoff circle caromed off the skate of defenseman Niklas Kronwall and between the pads of netminder Dominik Hasek for his 25th of the campaign.

Kronwall drew Detroit even just 55 seconds into the middle period with a wrist shot from just inside the blue line that evaded the glove of goalie Dan Ellis.

Blue-liner Chris Chelios gave the Red Wings a 2-1 advantage at 4:15 with a slap shot that made its way through traffic and beat Ellis low to the glove side.

That goal spelled the end of the night for Ellis, who was replaced by Chris Mason for the second consecutive game. Nashville coach Barry Trotz has made a goaltending change 12 times this season.

"We're up 1-0 going to the second period, and we are feeling pretty good about ourselves," Trotz said. "Then bang, a feeble wrist shot from the blue line goes in. We're in a playoff hunt right now, we need good goaltending."

"The coaches felt like they needed to make a change, and it's not my job to make the decisions," said Ellis, who made 11 saves. "I just go out and play, and if they want to change me, they change me."

It did little good as Detroit made it 3-1 at 7:24 of the second on a power-play goal by blue-liner Brian Rafalski.

"We are players, and you have to be ready when you are called upon regardless of when it is," Mason said. "When the coach tells you to play, you go play."

Nashville defenseman Dan Hamhuis' clearing attempt from below the end line was gloved down by Rafalski just inside the blue line. He carried the puck to the top of the left circle, where he wired a wrist shot just under the crossbar.

Radulov's second goal of the game at 2:17 of the third period came just 17 seconds after the Predators successfully killed a 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:47.

"We played really well early, and we had the game won," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "Then we had a 5-on-3 power play and did nothing with it but give them momentum."

Erat tied it at 3-3 with a power-play goal at 4:35, beating Hasek low to the stick side with a wrister from the high slot.

"It's good to have a winning feeling," Hasek said. "They scored three goals, but we scored more, and that's what's most important."