• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Lang continues to haunt Red Wings as Blackhawks win

Oct 13, 2007 - 4:07 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- A two-goal lead apparently means nothing when the Detroit Red Wings take on the Chicago Blackhawks.

Robert Lang snapped a tie and completed a comeback from a two-goal deficit midway through the third period, leading the Blackhawks to a 3-2 triumph over the Red Wings on Friday.

It was the second time in seven days Chicago rallied from a two-goal margin against Detroit. Lang was an integral part of both comebacks, scoring with 3:40 remaining in the third period of Saturday's matchup to forge a tie as the Blackhawks went on to record a 4-3 shootout victory at home.

"It's not something you plan," Lang said. "You don't say, 'Let's get down two goals and win it in the third period.' It's just worked out that way."

A member of the Red Wings for the previous 2 1/2 seasons, Lang was allowed to test the free-agent market over the summer and inked a two-year, $8 million deal with the Blackhawks. The move has paid dividends for Chicago, which posted just its second win in its last 13 visits to Joe Louis Arena.

"It's always good to beat a good team," Lang said.

With Detroit defenseman Andreas Lilja in the penalty box for slashing, Lang unleashed a one-timer from the left faceoff circle off a feed from blue-liner Andrei Zyuzin. The puck hit Dominik Hasek in the shoulder and bounced over the goaltender and into the net at 9:19, giving the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead it would not relinquish.

The first period belonged to the Red Wings, as Henrik Zetterberg and Kris Draper scored 99 seconds apart to take a 2-0 lead.

After receiving a pass from behind the net by Tomas Holmstrom, Zetterberg attempted to send the puck across the top of the crease from just below the left circle. But it caromed off the skate of defenseman Brent Sopel and past netminder Nikolai Khabibulin at 7:26, giving the Swede his third goal of the season.

Draper matched that total at 9:05 with a little help from Khabibulin. After getting in front of Draper's slap shot from the high slot, the goaltender attempted to knock away the puck as it trickled toward the goal line but instead pushed it in, putting Chicago in a two-goal hole.

"I think we tend to be a little too hesitant in the first period," Lang said. "Once we've played a few shifts, we seem to do fine. I think a game like this will help give us more confidence at the start of a game."

Chicago coach Denis Savard did not think his team was outplayed in the opening session.

"I don't know that they dominated the first period," he said. "One goal went in off a skate and the other was sort of a freaky goal. I told them that those things will happen. And we got things turned around."

The Blackhawks recovered in the second, tallying twice in a 61-second span late in the session to pull even.

The first overall pick this past June, Patrick Kane made several attempts to knock in the puck at the right goalpost during a power play but was denied by Hasek. But Patrick Sharp swooped in and lifted the loose puck over the fallen netminder with 2:27 remaining to draw Chicago within 2-1.

"The power play is coming along," Savard said. "We got a lot of chances tonight and the puck finally went in."

Defenseman Brent Seabrook knotted the game with his first goal in 37 games, beating Hasek to the stick side with a shot from the right point. The six-time Vezina Trophy winner appeared to be screened on the play by players battling for position in the low slot.

"We outplayed them for 40 minutes and then maybe we felt too comfortable," Hasek said. "They scored two quick goals. I don't know how it happened. It was 2-0, then all of a sudden, it's 2-2."

"Other teams are going to score on us," Zetterberg said. "When that happens, we have to keep playing and not start thinking, 'How did they do that?'"

Detroit coach Mike Babcock offered a simple explanation.

"I thought the desperation level of their club after the first period was better than ours," he said.

Lang and Seabrook each added an assist and Khabibulin made 34 saves for Chicago, which lost all four visits to Detroit last season.

Hasek turned aside 24 shots for the Red Wings, who suffered their first regulation loss this campaign.