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Franzen's goal gives Red Wings overtime win

Mar 31, 2008 - 4:14 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- With Gordie Howe in attendance, Johan Franzen broke one of "Mr Hockey's" lesser known records.

Franzen scored with 1:29 remaining in overtime, ending a sparkling goaltenders' duel and giving the Detroit Red Wings a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday.

It was Franzen's sixth game-winning goal in March, breaking Howe's franchise record for most winning goals in a month.

Prior to the game, the Red Wings honored Howe, who celebrates his 80th birthday on Monday.

"It's probably the only record I'm going to break," Franzen said. "I'm sorry I had to spoil his birthday. It was the last day I could do it, too."

Franzen's goal ended Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis' bid for a third straight shutout. Ellis made a kick save on Henrik Zetterberg's shot from the right circle. But the puck bounced in front to Franzen, who whacked at the rebound.

While Franzen did not make good contact on his attempt, the puck trickled past the arm of Ellis, who had fallen to the ice.

"I didn't get all of it," Franzen said. "It touched something. Maybe it was the defenseman (Ryan Suter), and the goalie helped. When he tried to save it, he pushed it in. It was a lucky break, I guess."

Suter said that the puck did not take a direct route to the net.

"I don't know how it got there," he said. "He whiffed on it and it came up and hit me in the hand and Elly on the pad."

It was the first goal allowed by Ellis since the first period of a 2-1 shootout win over Chicago on March 22. He had gone 233 minutes, 39 seconds without allowing a goal - the longest scoreless streak by a goaltender in the NHL this season.

"I didn't see it until it was beside me," Ellis said.

The win put the Red Wings on the verge of clinching the Presidents' Trophy, but San Jose's 3-1 victory over Phoenix later Sunday prevented Detroit from locking up the league's best record.

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was pleased with the win but just as happy with the type of game that the teams played.

"You had to be patient and find a way to win," Babcock said. "It's important to win but also the kind of game was important. That's how it's going to be in the playoffs. You have to stay patient and wait for your opportunities, because in the playoffs you're going to get hot goalies."

Dominik Hasek, who returned to the net after missing a game with the flu, recorded 22 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and 81st of his career.

Ellis turned aside 35 shots - and has stopped 104 of 105 in his last three games.

Hasek had one of his toughest saves when he stopped Suter's breakaway in the overtime, deflecting the puck wide with his blocker.

"I hesitated at first," he said. "I was thinking about poke-checking him at the blue line but then I changed my decision and was waiting patiently on him. I was in a great position, up high and out of the crease. He hit my blocker."

Suter blamed himself, feeling he should have been more decisive on the breakaway.

"I've got to make a better shot than that," he said. "When you have a chance on a breakaway in overtime, I should have buried it."

Despite the loss, Nashville moved into sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference with 87 points - one more than the Vancouver Canucks, who host Calgary on Sunday night.

"That's a huge point in this building at this time of year," Predators coach Barry Trotz. "That point will be the one that gets us in, not the one that keeps us out. Now we're down to three games. We just have to take care of business."