• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Lidstrom nets two as Red Wings top Blackhawks

Apr 6, 2008 - 9:00 PM DETROIT (Ticker) -- All-Star defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom scored two goals Sunday as the Detroit Red Wings closed out the regular season with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Jiri Hudler and Mark Hartigan also tallied and Dominik Hasek made 27 saves for the Red Wings, who finished the season with an NHL-best 115 points.

Hudler also recorded an assist for Detroit, which will face the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference quarterfinals.

"We'll come back Tuesday and prepare for Nashville, looking at their strengths and what we have to do to beat them," Lidstrom said. "It's going to be an important few days for us."

"It's hard to make the playoffs," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "To just get in the tournament and have a chance to win, that's all you can ask for."

Rookie Patrick Kane notched the lone goal for the Blackhawks, who had a four-game winning streak snapped and finished the season series against the Red Wings with a 5-3-0 record.

After Hudler opened the scoring at 7:21 of the first period, Lidstrom capitalized on a 5-on-3 advantage with 91 seconds left in the second to give Detroit a 2-0 lead. The five-time Norris Trophy winner blasted a shot from the high slot past goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin for his ninth goal of the season.

Lidstrom struck again on a power play with 5:58 remaining in the third to make it 4-0. His shot from the right point deflected off the skate of Blackhawks All-Star blue-liner Duncan Keith before sneaking past Khabibulin.

"You want to get through the game healthy with no bumps and bruises," Lidstrom said. "You want to play well and carry that into the playoffs, so I thought it was a good win for us."

Kane ended Hasek's bid for his 82nd career shutout by netting a power-play goal with 2:20 left in the contest, knocking in a rebound for his 21st goal of the campaign. The 19-year-old Kane led all rookies in scoring this season with 72 points.

"Anytime you play the Red Wings, you're going to be motivated to play," Kane said. "But it's tough when you know you're out of the playoffs. It's not an excuse, they didn't have anything to play for either."

The 43-year-old Hasek was impressive in his final tuneup before the postseason, stopping six shots in the first period, 10 in the second and 11 in the third.

"I know that I like our chances," Hasek said of the playoffs. "I know that I like our team. To have success in the playoffs, you are going to need it all going - offense, defense and goaltending. You can't win with just one of them working."

"I thought we played well defensively and Dom kept us in early in the game," Lidstrom said. "He made some big-time saves in the first period and slowly, we got better and better."

Hudler opened the scoring with his 13th goal of the season and also set up Lidstrom's tally in the second period.

Hartigan extended Detroit's advantage to 3-0 at 6:28 of the third, intercepting an ill-advised pass by Khabibulin and firing a wrist shot past the unprepared netminder.

Khabibulin stopped 34 shots.