DETROIT, Michigan -- A turnover by Minnesota goaltender Manny Fernandez led to a shorthanded goal by Dan Cleary midway through the second period Friday night, giving the Detroit Red Wings all they needed to down the Wild, 3-1, in the first game of a rare home-and-home-and-home series.
Cleary's goal at 9:10 of the middle period put the Red Wings up, 2-1.
With the Wild on a power play, Detroit cleared their zone and dumped the puck into the Minnesota end. Johan Franzen pressured Fernandez to play the puck behind the net, where Franzen picked it up and came around the other side. He sent a pass out to Cleary, who had moved into the right circle, and Cleary put a one-timer past Fernandez.
Nicklas Lidstrom added an insurance goal with 1:47 left in the period, blasting a shot from the high slot past Fernandez after being left all alone on the left side of the ice.
Henrik Zetterberg had opened the game's scoring just 4:00 into the game, banking a wraparound shot off of Fernandez.
Stephane Veilleux scored Minnesota's lone goal with 5:10 remaining in the first, putting a shot on net that deflected off the skate of defenseman Chris Chelios and bounced past goalie Dominik Hasek.
Hasek made 34 saves on 35 shots while Fernandez stopped 22 of 25 shots against.
Neither team scored on the power play. Detroit had three chances and Minnesota had four.
The teams will meet in the second game of their three-game series Saturday night in St. Paul. Chris Osgood is scheduled to start in goal for the Red Wings.
Not much to say about this one except, hopefully the refs will be consistant and we pick up six points! And someone at the scheduling committee needs to slapped!
It is actually a home and home and home series... they play the again on the 27th.
With the Christmas break in the middle, that is one way to look at it.
I prefer the home-and-home-and-home label just 'cause it sounds cool. 
And there have been home-and-home series' before with a few day gap in the middle that still went by that name, anyway, so if the gap doesn't matter there then it doesn't need to here.
Well, whatever as long as we come out on top and overtake Nashville I don't care what it's called
45 minutes till the puck drops, looks like I will get to see Ken and Mickey tonight
Heh, I love it when Mickey gets confused by the refs. Makes me feel better.
Belatedly... Great goal by Cleary, smart pass by Franzen, absolutely stupid move by Fernandez.
Big PK after a series of awful calls. Game's gotten a bit messy.
I hear you about the series of bad calls, what was up with the one on Lilja when the Wild player dropped his stick into the Wings bench? That was stupid. Glad we came out on top even though it SHOULD have been a shutout, let's see how good Ozzie looks tonight!
1st period is underway, Ozzie you are the man!
I know everyones feelings about nhl.com but here is the link to the frozen moment. Pretty cool pic
Puck is bouncing a lot around the Detroit crease, Ozzie needs to keep things settled down and the Wings' D needs to limit Minnesota's chances.
Way to drive the net!
Ozzie's looking pretty solid
"Give that man a black mask." No kidding, Mickey, Fernandez just came up huge on Homer.
Unrelated to just about anything... Minnesota's third jerseys might just be the best in the league. It's great that they'll be making them their home jerseys next year when third jerseys are eliminated.
You think so? I think they are ugly as hell! The best third jersey is the one from Vancouver, the best Minnesota jersey is the home North Stars jersey that I happen to be wearing right now. In honor of the DFHL of course !
While I like the Vancouver one, it's dated in a bad way. Looks like it's from the '70s (because it is). Minnesota's looks "vintage" without being dated.
The All-Star jerseys from Minnesota were great, too. That's what I've got on right now.
Not that one, the one they had last year that was black, red, and dark blue!
Oh man, the one with the gradient? Awful!
It's better than the Nashville one
Agreed on the Nashville third.
Bad break on Minnesota's goal but great to see Homer's slump end. The team goal-scoring streak is still alive and, even if it's been a "sleepy" game so far, should be an exciting end.
Ugh, bad, bad break on the second Minnesota goal. Kronwall needed to do a better job on Parrish, it's not like the refs are calling anything at this point anyway.
Dammit! Datsyuk tries to deke around the same guy fifty f*cking times and gives up the puck. Way to go, Pavs!
What a bad break in OT, Ozzie was having a good game too *sigh*. We walked away with a point and we we get them back at the Joe, just like we did the Jackets!
Ok boys the puck drops in an hour, let's drive that net and walk away with two pioints!
Jumped out strong, had control for most of the first two periods but the Wings were really on their heels at the end of the second. Need to make sure they don't slack off, don't give the Wild a chance to get back in it.
Kind of boring uneventful game, a few good hits and some awesome moves by Flippula and Datsyuk. Other than that glad we won however, it should have been a shutout!
Just as easily, it could be in OT right now. Wings got some good bounces tonight. Not all of them, but enough.
That was a soft goal allowed by Hasek
Agreed, but Lebda should have been there to clear the puck away.
I agree, the defence was at fault as well
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