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Red Wings rally past Blues

Dec 28, 2011 - 4:58 AM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall scored 56 seconds apart in the third period, boosting the Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues.

Nicklas Lidstrom had the other goal for Detroit, which rallied from a two-goal deficit to win on back-to-back nights. Jimmy Howard stopped 29 shots for the Red Wings, who earned a 4-1 triumph at Nashville on Monday.

It was Detroit's 11th straight home victory. The Red Wings haven't tasted defeat at Joe Louis Arena since November 3, 4-1 against Calgary.

"There was a lot of intensity out there, two competitive teams," Lidstrom said. "They carried the play early on. We stuck with it. We got a power play to get us back in the game and in the third period we stayed patient, waited for our chances and capitalized on them."

Matt D'Agostini and Alexander Steen lit the lamp for St. Louis, which won its previous two games. Brian Elliott also made 29 saves for the Blues, who had a much different result at Joe Louis Arena than the last time they visited the Motor City.

"You have to finish with a clear, concise game, get pucks in, get pucks out," Elliott said. "Obviously they're a good team. You have to give them credit. We didn't do the things we wanted to in the third period and that cost us."

St. Louis, which had won the previous three meetings, scored a 10-3 victory at Detroit on March 30.

Datsyuk failed on a couple of opportunities in close at the left of the net early in the third, but then tied the game at 11:19 on a deflection from the bottom of the right circle off an Ian White shot.

Kronwall moved the Red Wings ahead with a successful wrister from the left point as the puck just sneaked inside the left post at 12:15.

The Blues pulled Elliott for an extra attacker, but Steen had a shot blocked in the final 10 seconds.

The Blues struck first on the power play 6:51 into the opening period. With Darren Helm serving a penalty for holding the stick, Kevin Shattenkirk sent a shot from the high slot toward the net and D'Agostini was in front to deflect it by Howard.

St. Louis nearly scored in the final minute of the first period, but Lidstrom knocked the bouncing disc in the crease away and finally under Howard.

With under 12 minutes left in the middle period, D'Agostini had an open opportunity from the right circle, but Howard made an incredible sprawling save.

Howard turned aside a 3-on-1 opportunity with under nine minutes left in the second, but the Blues grabbed a 2-0 lead on the power play at 13:08 of the stanza when Steen put in a rebound of a Jason Arnott chance that had gotten behind the Detroit netminder.

The Red Wings cut the deficit in half with 63 seconds left in the second when Lidstrom let go a successful blast above the left circle. It was a power play goal, as D'Agostini was serving an interference penalty.

Game Notes

Prior to the game, the Blues activated forward B.J. Crombeen from injured reserve. He hadn't played this season due to a broken left shoulder blade...Blues defenseman Kris Russell left the game with a lower body injury...White had two assists, while Shattenkirk and Arnott each had two helpers for St. Louis.