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Bertuzzi, Howard lead Wings past Stars 4-1

Dec 1, 2009 - 4:24 AM DETROIT(AP) -- Todd Bertuzzi knows what he enjoys most about hockey.

"I love to score and when you're not scoring, it's not that fun," Bertuzzi said.

Well, he and his Detroit Red Wings teammates are having fun again.

Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist and Jimmy Howard made 29 saves to lift Detroit to a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday night.

Drew Miller, Darren Helm and Dan Cleary also scored for Detroit, which snapped its home scoreless streak at 116 minutes, 30 seconds. Kris Draper added two assists for the Red Wings, who hadn't scored at home since Nov. 20. The win is the Red Wings' second in a row after losing five of six.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock credited Howard.

"I thought Howard was good all game long," Babcock said. "He did a real good job. That's what he's paid to do."

Brenden Morrow scored for Dallas and Marty Turco stopped 28 shots.

"We found a way to lose the game and not even compete in it," the Stars' Steve Ott said.

Helm gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead 5:35 into the second period when he beat a prone Turco from the bottom of the left circle for his third goal of the season. Cleary's fifth goal made it 3-1 with 7:54 left in the middle period when he put in a bouncing puck from the side of the net.

"I thought we've been playing real well the past five, six games," Helm said. "But the puck's not finding the back of the net."

Bertuzzi got his fourth goal at 3:35 of the third period, beating Turco with a wrist shot from along the right boards at the hashmarks. It was his first goal since Nov. 11, a span of nine games without scoring.

The game was tied at 1 after the first period.

Miller opened the scoring with 6:12 left in the opening period when his attempted pass from alongside the net deflected in off of Dallas' Tom Wandell and Trevor Daley. It was Miller's second goal.

Miller created the play by not allowing Dallas defenseman Karlis Skrastins to touch for an icing.

"Miller made a good play getting up the ice and causing the turnover and getting the goal," Babcock said.

It was the Red Wings' first goal at Joe Louis Arena since Pavel Datsyuk scored in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Nov. 20.

"We've been throwing pucks at their end and tonight the puck went in for us," Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "I think we were having traffic in front of the net, too, but we got some lucky bounces, too."

Morrow tied it for the Stars with 15 seconds left in the first when he tipped in a shot for his 11th goal. It came 3 seconds after a Stars' power play ended.

NOTES: Detroit scored first for the first time in five games. ... Dallas C Brian Sutherby returned after missing seven games with a groin injury. ... Turco has a regular-season record of 1-9-2 at Joe Louis Arena.