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Franzen returns as Red Wings topple Predators

Feb 19, 2009 - 4:23 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Johan Franzen returned to the ice and the Detroit Red Wings clearly reaped the benefits.

After a five-game absence, Franzen scored two of five power-play goals by the Red Wings, who snapped a two-game losing streak with a 5-2 thrashing of the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

Captain Nicklas Lidstrom netted a pair of goals - including one on the power play - and Jiri Hudler and Henrik Zetterberg also tallied with the man advantage for Detroit, which had won five in a row prior to slipping into the mild swoon.

"It's always good to get back," Franzen said. "It's painful sitting on the side watching, especially we started to play a lot better lately, over the last 10 games. It's good to get back, and our power play is playing good.

"We never like to lose, so we always try to bounce back right away. We don't want to get a losing streak going. We usually do a good job with that."

Pavel Datsyuk and defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Brian Rafalski each notched two assists in support of Ty Conklin's 23-save performance as the Red Wings shrugged off their first home losing streak since an 0-1-1 start at Joe Louis Arena from October 9-16.

"We're getting better," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "I thought we had a real good game today. We pushed hard. (Getting Franzen) back really helped. We've got good depth and the guys we called up helped us and the team's starting to play."

Steve Sullivan registered two goals and Dan Ellis stopped 35 shots for the Predators, who have dropped two in a row.

"You just can't give them power-play goals," Sullivan said. "When it was even strength, they scored one goal and we scored one goal. We just can't give them power plays."

Hudler opened the scoring five minutes into the first period and Zetterberg doubled the lead 3:26 later. However, Sullivan recorded his first tally since February 22, 2007 with seven seconds remaining in the session.

"If they get two power-play goals a game against us they usually win," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "They get five, they always win. Tonight, they executed and we were slow to react to certain things."

Lidstrom gave Detroit a 3-1 lead midway through the second, but Sullivan struck again 2:41 later. Franzen, who had been bothered by a hand injury, ballooned the lead by lifting a backhander past Ellis from the low slot with 3:58 left in the period.

"He can score goals for us," Lidstrom said of Franzen. "He's tough to contain, whether it's in front of the net or down in the corners. So he's another big body that we really needed to get back in the lineup.

"You could tell that he wanted to get back into the lineup. You could tell he had a few long shifts out there and was really trying to get off the ice. Overall, I thought he played a real solid game for us."

Lidstrom struck again 68 seconds into the third and Franzen notched his 24th goal with 4:22 remaining as Detroit recorded five power-play goals in a game for the first time since December 9, 2006.

"We've got some skilled players who can make plays and we've got people who can score goals," Kronwall said. "It seemed like tonight we had a lot of room to make plays."