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Zetterberg enables Red Wings to win Presidents' Trophy

Apr 4, 2008 - 4:43 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- The Detroit Red Wings claimed the Presidents' Trophy in style.

Henrik Zetterberg scored the game-winning goal with 11.4 seconds remaining in the third period as the Red Wings earned their fourth Presidents' Trophy in six seasons with a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

"It was nice to get that out of the way and get home-ice advantage all the way in the playoffs," Zetterberg said. "That was big for us. We had a great regular season, have one game to finish it off and then ready to go for the playoffs."

Zetterberg admitted to keeping an eye on red-hot San Jose, which kept the heat on Detroit by posting an 18-0-2 record over its last 20 games.

"They've been on fire lately," Zetterberg said. "Thank God we had a good run in the beginning of the year. We had that slump in February but still had the points to pull it off and win the Presidents' Trophy."

Johan Franzen tied the game with just under 3 1/2 minutes to go and former Blue Jacket Mark Hartigan also scored for Detroit (53-21-7), which has captured six Presidents' Trophies since the inception of the award in 1985-86.

"It felt good to get this game and get the Presidents' (Trophy)," Franzen said. "We didn't want to lose this game. Their goalie (Pascal Leclaire) was playing great, but we got a power play, (defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom) took a shot that was perfect for a rebound and I beat my guy and I had an open net. In front, that's the right place to be.

"I think when we tied it, it picked everybody up. We had that one point that we needed."

All-Star Pavel Datsyuk had two assists and Dominik Hasek made 20 saves for the Red Wings.

"It seems like when we play the night before, it takes us a while to get our legs (the following night)," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "The goalie has to keep you in the game for the first 10 minutes until you get going. Dom did that tonight."

Defensemen Ron Hainsey and rookie Aaron Rome scored for Columbus, which has lost six of its last seven (1-5-1).

With the clock winding down in the third period, Detroit cleared the puck into the offensive zone. Leclaire, who had been sensational in stopping 36 shots, had difficulty playing the puck behind the net and retreated back toward his crease.

Zetterberg alertly backhanded the puck off back of the legs of the goaltender and into the net from near the end boards for his 43rd goal of the season and a 3-2 edge. It also proved to be the Swede's seventh game-winner of the campaign.

"The puck was just laying outside the line," Zetterberg said. "He couldn't play it, so he had trouble getting back and I just tried to hit him. It hit his behind and went in."

Some of the saves (Leclaire) made, especially in the third, were phenomenal," Columbus' Michael Peca said. "He gave us a chance to win it, and we let him down in the end."

Hainsey opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 7:13 of the second period, sending a shot from the point over the glove of a screened Hasek. All eight of Hainsey's goals this season have come with the man advantage.

Hartigan, who was in the penalty box when Hainsey scored, leveled the contest 2 1/2 minutes later, when he gathered a rebound and beat Leclaire for his first tally in 20 games.

Rome gave Columbus a 2-1 lead just 4:05 into the third period, scoring his first career goal when his low shot from the point beat Hasek, who again was screened.

"Something you'll always remember," Rome said. "Your first NHL goal is something you've worked for your whole life."