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Hossa helps Red Wings end season-high skid

Feb 3, 2009 - 6:03 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Marian Hossa obviously had enough of the Detroit Red Wings' losing streak.

Hossa netted the decisive goal in the shootout after scoring twice in regulation as the Red Wings snapped a season-high, five-game skid with a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday.

"The No. 1 thing everybody thought about was to finally get the win," Hossa said. "It doesn't matter how ugly or how pretty it was. We finally ended the losing streak and now we can build on something."

Jiri Hudler also tallied in the bonus format and Kirk Maltby recorded a goal in regulation for the Red Wings, who improved to 6-1 in shootouts this season.

Defenseman Barret Jackman and rookies T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund each scored a power-play goal for the Blues, who had won three of their previous four contests.

"We showed a lot of resiliency and we battled tonight," St. Louis coach Andy Murray said.

After Hudler and Brad Boyes exchanged goals in the second round of the bonus format, Hossa fired a quick wrist shot over the glove of goaltender Chris Mason.

"I know the goalie doesn't come far from the net, so I knew I was just going to shoot," Hossa said. "I wanted to get the right angle and go upstairs."

Chris Osgood, who made 30 saves during regulation and overtime, then stopped David Perron's attempt to secure the win for Detroit.

"He was going slow," Osgood said. "Once he got flat-footed, he couldn't go in any other direction. I knew he was going to (the right) side, so I slid over and, more or less, took it away from him. He saw me and wanted to change his mind, but he crossed himself up. It's like a hitter knowing a pitcher's pitch."

After combining for just five shots in the first period, the teams scored five goals in a nine-minute stretch during the second, capped by Hossa's second goal of the night with 8:39 remaining that gave the Red Wings a 3-2 edge.

"It was kind of a muddy game," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "Neither team was giving up very much. When you've lost a few like us, it's never going to be pretty. You knew it would be ugly."

Hossa fired a wrist shot to the top corner from the right circle, chasing former Detroit netminder Manny Legace from the contest.

Legace stopped just five of the eight shots he faced before being replaced by Mason, who extended his scoreless streak to over 95 minutes with 13 saves.

"The first (goal) kind of surprised me and I kind of surprised him," Hossa said. "I don't know how that got in the net. The second one, when I saw the puck coming my way, I just tried to play 1-on-1 and shoot it behind the 'D' and it wound up going in the net."

Legace took full blame for the defeat.

"I was God-awful," he said. "The guys played great and I'm the reason we lost. I was the worst guy in the league tonight. Maltby's shot I should have had. The second one, I took my eye off of it. The third one was awful, too."

"I feel bad for Manny because there have been a lot of nights since I've been coaching the Blues that he's been the best guy in the NHL," Murray said.

After Red Wings blue-liner Andreas Lilja picked up a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding, Jackson tied the game at 3-3 with a slap shot from the high slot.