DETROIT, Michigan -- The Detroit Red Wings opened the 2008 calendar year with their 30th win of the season, a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Playing their 41st game of the season, it was the fastest run to 30 wins in Red Wings history.
Henrik Zetterberg returned to the team after missing five games with back spasms, notching two assists.
Zetterberg's first point of the night came as the secondary assist on the opening goal, scored by Dan Cleary.
With 7:59 left in the first, Valtteri Filppula carried into the Dallas zone and lost the puck. Cleary stepped across the blue line and blasted a shot that was blocked by a defender, but Cleary stepped around him to pick the puck back up and snap it by goalie Marty Turco.
Detroit took a two-goal lead at 7:28 of the second, when a long outlet pass by Aaron Downey sprung Johan Franzen in all alone. Franzen faked and got Turco to sprawl out before skating it into the open side of the net.
Dallas Drake scored his first goal of his second stint with the Red Wings at 4:32 of the third period. The Wings regained control of the puck after Johan Franzen missed an open net and eventually Zetterberg got it in the high slot. Spinning into the left circle, he sent a pass down to Drake near the bottom of the right circle to punch between Turco's legs.
Pavel Datsyuk scored Detroit's final goal with 6:47 left in regulation, deflecting a Nicklas Lidstrom blast past Turco.
Loui Eriksson scored Dallas' lone goal 46 seconds later. A broken play left Detroit netminder Chris Osgood out of position and Eriksson put a wraparound chance into the open net.
Neither team converted on any of their power play chances. Each team had three attempts with the extra attacker, one lasting only a matter of seconds.
Osgood made 23 saves on 24 shots to earn the win. Turco stopped 22 of 26 shots against.
The two teams will face each other again on Saturday afternoon in Dallas.
Notes: Lidstrom's assist on Datsyuk's goal was his 700th career assist... Downey's assist on Franzen's goal was his first point as a Red Wing.
Let's start the new year with a WIN!
Dallas notes:
1st place in the pacific division and third overall with 50 points
Away record 11-7-2
Last 10: 8-2-0
Should be a good matchup. Any word on Zata, Homer, and Malts?
Zetterberg will be back in the lineup tonight. Hartigan didn't practice this morning but no one's saying he's been sent back down to GR, either. I'd imagine he's been sent back down on paper but is still around in case Z can't go.
I don't think I've seen anything on who the starting goalie will be but if the rotation holds it's Osgood.
Osgood gets the start, sayeth Malik. The Stars will be without Sergei Zubov.
If the Wings wear white like they did last game, we'll get to see Dallas' uber-cool home jerseys, otherwise we have to wait until the next game.
Glad to hear that Ozzie is getting the start along with Zata being back in the line up. He has some catching up to do in the scoring department.
Zata is in and Mickey is back!
I'll take Z as the player of the game
NHL.com confirms that Hartigan was sent back to GR, he's not in the lineup (obviously) or a healthy scratch.
Very nice goal by Cleary. Good job to keep track of the puck and pick it back up after the initial block.
Cleary is the man! Who did Kronner level?
Which time? 
There have been two apparently big Kronner hits that they haven't even bothered to show replays of.
What a save by Ozzie
No goal?
Yes? Yes?!?!?!?
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
edit;;
Awesome job by Downey and Franzen!!
FRANZEN!!!!!
Turco, lying on his back: "Damnit, I hate playing the Red Wings."
Let's go Dr. Fil
Great game so far, Ozzie looks solid. Let's see how the third period goes.
Clark, how about you center a line with me and Mathieu_Datsyuk on the Wings?
Clark, how about you center a line with me and Mathieu_Datsyuk on the Wings?
Sounds like fun!
Woo! Go Duckman 
He scored a goal.
That fight was lame. =/ I was hoping for some excitement,
Darn it Duckman, stay on the good side or bad side! Don't hop the line >:|
My friend says get an assist for a Howe Hat Trick! I say it's possible
I haven't played anything resembling hockey on a competitive basis since an intramural floor hockey league in 2002. You guys don't want me on your line.
Drake's goal gives Zata another point. Not a bad return.
It's the thought that counts
That tip-in was askdjfkajdfk;laj jamazin' D:
Damn, would have been nice to get Ozzie the shutout. His stats will still get some help if they don't do that again.
And Dats makes it four! Too bad they scored, I was hoping Ozzie would get the goose egg!
And Dats makes it four! Too bad they scored, I was hoping Ozzie would get the goose egg!
Goose egg? That's a new one
YAY FOR W!
No goose egg today, like Clark said, his stats will get some help
Solid all-around game. Good to see after the loss to the Blues.
This gives Detroit a 13-point lead in the conference halfway through the season. Seems ridiculous.
A couple of firsts --- DOWNEY records his first point on a great pass on the tape to FRANZEN; and DRAKE his gets his first goal, since returning as a RED WING. The win gave the WINGS 30 wins in 41 regular season games, which is also a first. This is puts them on a pace even better than '95-'96 when they won 62 games, which was a record year in wins. Despite their regular season success, they ended up being swept by the NJ DEVILS in the finals.
Great to see ZETTERBERG back healthy too.
Good point, you could win all 82 regular season games but, if you are swept in the finals it was all for nothing.
Good point, you could win all 82 regular season games but, if you are swept in the finals it was all for nothing.
I stand corrected .....in 1995, the WINGS were SWEPT in an "abbreviated" schedule (I think due to a league lock-out) by the NJ DEVILS in the Stanley Cup finals. I recall, vividly watching the DEVILS completely dominate the WINGS in 4 games. I believe the regular season in '95 was only 48 games. But, The following NHL year, '95-'96, the WINGS went 62-13-7 in the regular season, a Record "BEST" for the franchise in WINS , but ultimately LOST to the AVALANCHE in the WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS. The COLORADO AVALANCHE then marched on to win the CUP in '96.
Sorry for any miscommunication.
The Red Wings have been "there" a BUNCH of times (22 or 23 times in their franchise) but have fallen short in taking home the Holy Grail more than not. Lets hope they can improve upon their record in '07-'08. I have no reason to doubt that they won't at this point in this season.
I think what killed them back then was a lack of experience in the post season. Now everyone has had a taste of getting to the Semi's so I think we can expect much better play this time around.
What killed them in 1995 was lack of experience. In 1996 it was Patrick Roy. As of right now, I don't find any team in the league as scary as the 1996 Avs were. Giguere, Luongo, Kiprusoff... None of them are Roy.
That said, all it takes is a run of four games to play the spoiler.
Admin Note: I'm going to change the title of this thread and the other Dallas one to better differentiate between them.
And we got him back in 02 when we chased him out of the net!
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