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Weber's goal in OT lifts Predators over Red Wings

Feb 20, 2013 - 8:05 AM Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Shea Weber scored 44 seconds into overtime to give the Nashville Predators a 4-3 victory over the slumping Detroit Red Wings in a Central Division clash from Bridgestone Arena.

Weber added an assist on Craig Smith's first-period tally, while Colin Wilson recorded a pair of helpers to aid in the Predators halting a two-game skid. Gabriel Bourque and Roman Josi also had goals for Nashville, which received 26 saves out of goaltender Pekka Rinne as well.

"He's scored in three straight games here for us," said Nashville head coach Barry Trotz about Weber. "He's a great talent for us and once he gets going it's really tough to stop him."

Pavel Datsyuk and Dan Cleary both had a goal and an assist for Detroit, with Datsyuk's marker tying the contest at 3-3 with 6:30 remaining in the third period. Former Predator Jordin Tootoo also lit the lamp in the loss, the Red Wings' fourth in a row.

Detroit's Jonas Gustavsson made 16 saves in relief of Jimmy Howard, who exited with an upper-body injury in the first period after letting in two goals on only seven shots.

"He got hit in practice I guess, and I didn't know about that," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said of Howard. "He wasn't seeing good, or something like that. I was watching the game and someone told me. We made the switch and tried to buy some time for Gus to get ready and put him in."

Josi gave Nashville a 3-2 edge by firing a perfectly-placed shot from far out near the left boards that whistled past Gustavsson's glove with 7:06 left in regulation. The lead would be short-lived, however.

Just 36 seconds later, Datsyuk rushed up the center of the ice with a head of steam and bulled through two Nashville defenders before sending a wrister by Rinne for his eighth goal of the season.

The Predators couldn't convert on a power-play opportunity prior to OT, but cashed in less than a minute into extra time.

Wilson shot wide on an attempt after skating aggressively up the ice, but the puck caromed around the net and right to a trailing Weber, who found an opening along the right corner for the game-winning score.

Nashville started out the first period strongly as well, getting goals from Smith and Bourque to build a 2-0 advantage just past the midway stage of the session.

With Detroit's Jakub Kindl in the box for interference, Wilson set up Smith with an on-point centering pass across the crease just 5:01 in. Bourque made it a two-goal margin at 10:41 by re-directing Scott Hannan's blast from the left point past Howard.

Datsyuk and Cleary began to turn the momentum around by teaming up for a critical shorthanded score just under five minutes prior to the first intermission. Datsyuk stole the puck from behind the net and sent it out to Cleary, who snapped a wrister into the net to put the Red Wings on the board.

It remained a 2-1 game until the third period, when Tootoo scored from the right circle after cradling in Henrik Zetterberg's pass on a Detroit rush with 8:27 left in the frame.

Game Notes

Tootoo played eight seasons for the Predators before joining the Red Wings as a free agent over the summer, and was appearing at Bridgestone Arena for the first time in a visiting uniform ... Weber extended his point streak to four games and has notched three goals and three assists during that stretch ... Nashville went 1-of-6 on the power play and Detroit ended 0-of-2 with the man advantage ... Nashville center Paul Gastad missed the contest with an upper- body injury he suffered in Monday's loss to Colorado ... Nashville acquired minor league defenseman Scott Ford from St. Louis in exchange for forward Jani Lajunen on Tuesday.