DETROIT, Michigan -- The Detroit Red Wings scored once in the third period and again in overtime Friday night, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Playing in his first game back since suffering a broken foot in January, Mikael Samuelsson scored the game-winner with 1:34 remaining in the extra period.
Samuelsson picked off a pass by the Kings at the Detroit blue line and carried the puck off on a two-on-one with Pavel Datsyuk. Inside the Los Angeles zone he passed to Datsyuk, then got the puck back for a shot into the open side of the net.
Brett Lebda had tied the game with 5:58 remaining in regulation, carrying the puck from end to end before making a move to beat Kings' netminder Sean Burke.
Raitis Ivanans got the Kings on the board with 8:44 remaining in the first period, scoring on the rebound of a chance by John Zeiler.
Pavel Datsyuk evened things up with 5:56 remaining in the second but Los Angeles retook the lead just 27 seconds later on a goal by Brian Willsie.
Making his first appearance in three games after sitting out with a thigh injury, Dominik Hasek stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced. Burke made 51 saves on Detroit's 54 shots.
Neither team scored on the power play. Detroit had three chances and Los Angeles had two.
The win pulls Detroit back to within a point of the Nashville Predators in the Central Division standings, with one game in hand.
The Red Wings will host the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon before a home-and-home series with Nashville on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Notes: While Samuelsson and Hasek returned to the Detroit lineup, the Red Wings lost Johan Franzen in the second period to an unspecified upper-body injury.
Sometimes I wonder if Hasek is causing his own issues when it comes to the groin issues, as taking weeks off to keep him healthy could essentially be a cause as much as the problem. Although, I certainly wouldn't want to see him injured before the playoffs, I would like to see him be more consistent
What's really been nice during this interim of currently injured players, is that Mike has had a chance to really get a good look at the team all the way to the farm team. I would like to think he is prepping the team for line adjustments before Bertuzzi makes his debut.
He certainly hasn't given opponents for the playoffs anything to put on paper. I really do believe Babcock is the coach to take us all the way. Big BUT! Why in the Hell is his team coming into games so lackluster lately. I mean come on. I can see that keeping an even keel into the playoffs without too much stress is critical, but you cannot let the Kings come into the house and start slapping us around. This type of game performance can be catchy going into the playoffs and then... oooops, what happened, where did we go wrong..... type of sh*t are the questions asked when we're knocked out of the first round.
Go Wings!
Man, that kid (13) can reall play hockey boy! Go Dats!!
And they score on us again! I gotta tell ya, this D really can be difficult to appreciate.
Go Wings.
You're right "on paper" it should be 2 points for the Wings. At the end of two periods of play, it doesn't look like those two points are assurred. While the Wings have generated some scoring opportunities, they haven't converted them. Lapses on defense by Wings, most notably "KRONWELL" also seem to at work. I think its time for Babcock to start benching people until attitudes change. As the old saying goes, The floggings will continue until morale improves." Thats my take at this juncture. ![]()
Lebda!!!!! Yeah BABY!!! What a goal. Redeeming the D.
What is up with this team. Get another goal, don't let one in Geesh! Come on Detroit.
Look at Mark Crawford, standing there with his mouth hanging open. You got nothin sucka, you got nothin!
Except Lang...
Go Wings
I don't have the awful feeling about this one that I've had in a lot of close games lately. We'll see if they can kill of the penalty in OT.
Welcome back Mikey!
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