Red Wings 3 - 0 Stars
Final
  for this game

Detroit beats Dallas, clinches 22nd straight playoff berth

Apr 28, 2013 - 3:59 AM Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Detroit stretched its postseason run to 22 seasons thanks to a 3-0 win over Dallas in the regular season finale on Saturday.

Coming into the game, the Red Wings (24-16-8) needed just a point in order to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since the 1989-90 campaign, but the win ensured their run, which has seen four Stanley Cup titles, will continue.

As the seventh seed in the Western Conference, the Red Wings will begin the postseason on the road against the Pacific-champion Anaheim Ducks. It's the lowest seed that the Red Wings have had during the postseason streak.

Henrik Zetterberg scored twice and added an assist while Jonathan Ericsson added a goal for the Red Wings, who won four straight to close out the regular season.

Jimmy Howard posted 17 saves for his fifth shutout of the shortened season.

"The urgency was there. We knew what was at stake," said Howard. "We've been playing playoff hockey here for a while and for us to come into the last week and get the job done is really special."

Richard Bachman gave up all three goals on 37 shots for the Stars (22-22-4), who dropped their final five games of the season to finish 11th in the conference.

"I know our guys came together," said Dallas head coach Glen Gulutzan. "They were real tight out in Anaheim on our first trip there. The leadership stepped up. Guys were close and we wanted to prove people wrong from the coaching staff down. The guys did a hell of a job battling hard. I thought we battled hard tonight to finish it off."

The only goal of the first period was scored at the 18:17 mark. Zetterberg was fighting for the puck in the right corner and was able to get away from his defender. He threw the puck out front where it went off the skate of Alex Goligoski and past Bachman for his 10th goal of the year.

Neither side scored in the second period, but Dallas was able to hold Detroit off the board when Ryan Garbutt was given a double minor for high sticking.

Skating shorthanded to start the third period, the Red Wings padded their advantage as Pavel Datsyuk sprung Zetterberg, who skated in alone and switched to the backhand before slipping the puck between the pads of Bachman 1:57 in.

Ericsson scored on a slap shot from the slot at the 6:30 mark of the final frame to make it a 3-0 game.

Game Notes

Datsyuk had three assists in the game ... Howard has 16 shutouts in his career ... Detroit won two of the three games against Dallas this season ... In the 1990-91 season, the Red Wings were seeded sixth in the Clarence Campbell conference, the lowest seed the team had during the postseason run prior to this season's finish ... Detroit went 11-9-4 on the road, while Dallas was 11-11-2 at home.






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