Final - 2OT
Red Wings aim to extend club-record home streak
Jan 21, 2012 - 4:17 PM (Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings will try to extend their franchise- record home winning streak to 16 games tonight, as they host the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets in a Central Division matchup at Joe Louis Arena.The Red Wings have won their last 15 games in the Motor City and also enter tonight with five consecutive victories overall. Detroit's last home setback came on Nov. 3 against Calgary and the Red Wings are 18-2-1 at the Joe this season.
Detroit's previous team record of 14 straight home wins was set during the 1964-65 season and the 15-game stretch is also the longest home winning streak in the NHL since Philadelphia tied the NHL mark with 20 consecutive home victories in 1975-76.
The Red Wings won their last two games on the road and both victories came in 3-2 shootout decisions. Detroit bested Dallas on Tuesday before defeating the Coyotes on Thursday.
Todd Bertuzzi scored the game-winning goal in the third round of the shootout against the Coyotes. Bertuzzi picked up the puck at center ice, swung way wide to the right and cut across the front of goal before pulling off the spin-o- rama backhander past Coyotes' goaltender Mike Smith to win it.
"We talked it over in the third and thought it was time to break it out," said Bertuzzi of his shootout move.
Jimmy Howard didn't allow a goal in the shootout and made 31 saves, while Bertuzzi and Ian White lit the lamp in regulation. Johan Franzen and Pavel Datsyuk added a pair of assists apiece for the Red Wings.
Howard has won all 15 games during Detroit's home streak and is expected to be between the pipes tonight. He is 8-1-1 with a 1.67 goals-against average in 12 career games against the Blue Jackets.
As a team, Detroit has taken eight of 11 overall from the Blue Jackets and six of the last seven encounters in Motown.
Columbus is last in the NHL with 31 points and has lost two of three and four of its last six games. The Blue Jackets played Thursday against visiting Nashville and was blanked in a 3-0 decision. Pekka Rinne made 38 saves to lead the Predators to the shutout victory.
Meanwhile, Steve Mason was tagged for two goals on 24 shots in defeat for the Blue Jackets.
Prior to the game, the Blue Jackets announced that defenseman Radek Martinek will miss remainder of the season with post-concussion symptoms. He suffered the injury back on Oct. 21 against Detroit and hasn't played since. To fill the void, the club signed veteran defenseman Brett Lebda to a one-year contract.
Tonight marks the start of a six-game road trip for the Blue Jackets, who are just 5-15-2 as the visiting team this season.
- COLUMBUS: 2
DETROIT: 3
Final - 2OT
Jan 21 9:44 PM - COLUMBUS: 2
DETROIT: 2
End of OT
Jan 21 9:36 PM - COLUMBUS: 2
DETROIT: 2
End of Regulation
Jan 21 9:29 PM - COLUMBUS: 2
DETROIT: 2
End of 2nd
Jan 21 8:34 PM - Columbus Power-Play Goal - Nikita Nikitin (2), at 8:43.
Blue Jackets 2, Red Wings 1 2nd - 11:17Jan 21 8:13 PM - COLUMBUS: 1
DETROIT: 1
End of 1st
Jan 21 7:41 PM - Columbus Goal - Ryan Russell, from Derek Dorsett at 8:51.
Blue Jackets 1, Red Wings 0 1st - 11:09Jan 21 7:33 PM - COLUMBUS: 0
DETROIT: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Jan 21 7:08 PM
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