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Hudler helps streaking Red Wings jolt Flames

Nov 23, 2008 - 7:41 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- Jiri Hudler snapped a tie with 8:39 remaining in the third period as the Detroit Red Wings scored three times in the session en route to a 5-2 triumph over the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Pavel Datsyuk recorded a goal and an assist and Kirk Maltby, Marian Hossa and defenseman Brett Lebda also tallied for Detroit, which improved to 7-0-1 in its last eight games.

Blue-liner Andreas Lilja notched a pair of assists and Ty Conklin made 31 saves in his third start in four games for the Red Wings, who improved to 10-1-1 away from Joe Louis Arena.

Curtis Glencross notched a goal and an assist and defenseman Mark Giordano netted his first goal of the season for Calgary, which saw its two-game winning streak come to an end.

"We were down a goal going into the third period against a team like Detroit, and it's tough to battle back," Glencross said. "They're a good road hockey club. If we would have gotten one at the end of the second period when we had the pressure on them hard, it would have been a different game."

"They played well defensively," Calgary coach Mike Keenan said. "We played well defensively, but we didn't strike when we had the opportunity to make a difference offensively. And if we did, their goaltender was sharp."

With a delayed penalty call on Calgary midway through the third period, Hudler joined the play off the bench and received a pass from Henrik Zetterberg. The unmarked Czech unleashed a shot from the left faceoff circle that beat goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff for his seventh goal of the season and third in the last two games.

Datsyuk doubled Detroit's advantage with 91 seconds remaining and Hossa capped the scoring with six seconds left with an empty-net goal.

"There's not a lot of panic regardless of what the situation is, whether we're up a goal, down a goal, down two goals," Conklin said. "I think we all have the belief in here that regardless of what the situation is, we can get back into the game, or we can control the game the way we want to."

"When I was on other teams, if we were tied 2-2, we would maybe get nervous," Hossa said. "But there are so many experienced guys on this team. Everybody sticks with the game plan, and that is huge for this team. Everybody just stays calm and plays the game."

Detroit coach Mike Babcock credited the play of entire team, especially considering it was without two key cogs.

"(What) was interesting about tonight's game was, two of our most physical players up front aren't here in Homer (Tomas Holmstrom) and (Daniel) Cleary," Babcock said. "So other guys have to step up that way, and I thought we had a lot of guys step up."

After Maltby opened the scoring 4:26 into the first period by tipping in the rebound off Lilja's shot, Lebda gave the Red Wings a 2-0 lead midway though the second session, weaving through the neutral zone and scoring from the high slot.

"They're playing extremely well," Calgary defenseman Robyn Regehr said. "As you saw tonight, when you have little breakdowns, they capitalize."

Glencross halved the deficit just 36 seconds later, when he skated out from behind the end line and wristed a sharp-angle shot that sailed just under the crossbar.

Giordano knotted the contest at 6:52 of the third period, accepting a backhand pass from captain Jarome Iginla in the high slot and beating Conklin.