Final
  for this game

Howard, Red Wings blank Oilers

Nov 12, 2011 - 7:45 AM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Jimmy Howard stopped 24 shots to record his third shutout of the season and lead the streaking Red Wings in a 3-0 victory over the Oilers.

The Red Wings have won three in a row by a combined margin of 13-2, and Howard has been largely responsible for that. He posted a shutout in last Saturday's victory against Anaheim, then allowed two goals in Tuesday's defeat of Colorado.

Howard, in his third season as Detroit's full-time goaltender, matched a career high Friday with his third shutout. He also posted three in the 2009-10 season, but needed 61 starts to do so.

Nikolai Khabibulin gave up goals to Drew Miller, Valtteri Filppula and Niklas Kronwall, and the Oilers lost for the third time in their last four games. They have lost six in a row against the Red Wings.

"It seems like we were a little bit out of sync," said Khabibulin. "We were maybe a half step behind."

Miller put Detroit on the board just past the midway point of the first period.

Holding the puck deep in his own end, Oilers defenseman Tom Gilbert backhanded a pass behind the net. However, none of his teammates were on the other side to take over possession and Detroit's Patrick Eaves intercepted the puck along the right boards.

Eaves then fired a centering pass that bounced off a stick and Gilbert's skates before getting to Miller, who wristed it past Khabibulin from the slot.

The Red Wings made it a 2-0 game early in the second period after another lax effort by the Oilers defense.

In an attempt to clear, Jeff Petry delivered a pass along the end boards for Theo Peckham in the left corner. But it was a soft pass, and Jiri Hudler raced in just as the puck got to Peckham, who couldn't do anything other than touch the puck before it squirted out to the left circle and bounced around.

Hudler eventually pushed the puck to the high slot for Kronwall, who fired a slap shot just under the crossbar at 2:05.

With just more than five minutes left in the third period, Filppula tipped in Henrik Zetterberg's centering pass during a 2-on-1 rush. Howard stopped all eight shots he saw in the third period to complete the shutout.

Game Notes

The teams combined to go 0-for-9 on the power play...Miller's goal was his first of the season...Edmonton hasn't won in the series since March 19, 2010.