Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard stopped 46 of the 48 shots he faced Friday night, leading the Red Wings to a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators.
The Red Wings got goals from four players. Nicklas Lidstrom continued his hot streak with a goal and an assist and Jason Williams scored in his first game back from injury.
Williams opened the scoring with 1:33 left in the first period, tipping home a chance on a Detroit power play. Valtteri Filppula put the puck on net from the left wing, catching a piece of Drew Miller's stick on its way to Williams for the tap-in past Nashville goalie Dan Ellis.
The lead was short-lived as Francis Bouillon snapped a shot past Howard from the right circle just 1:09 later.
Lidstrom blasted a shot from the high slot past Ellis at 5:55 of the second, putting the Red Wings back in front on another power play goal.
Drew Miller extended the lead with a tip-in on a rebound chance from the front of the net 3:02 later, just after the expiration of another Nashville penalty.
A Shea Weber shot snuck past Howard at 5:57 of the third to pull the Predators back within a goal but Henrik Zetterberg banked a shot off of Ellis and into the net from an acute angle with 9:48 remaining to wrap up the scoring.
Detroit finished the night with two power play goals on four tries with the extra attacker. Nashville was scoreless in as many chances, including a six-on-four to and the game while Ellis was on the bench.
Ellis stopped 25 of 29 Detroit shots on the night.
Notes: The Red Wings will spend their next five games on the road, starting in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
No beating around the bush, the Wings need to win tonight and make a strong move before the olympics!
Indeed.
And you're not in GR.
no maybe tomorrow, no takers on going with me tonight
no HD tonight, sucks watching without that, forget how much I love HD
No kidding, it's amazing how SD seems so awful now.
How the f*ck did Legwand not put that in? Thank god he never got as good as he was projected to be?
Howard is saying, "You guys remember I'm in net tonight? You usually play like this for Ozzie."
If it wasn't for Howard it would be 4-0 I'm being very optomistic about the rest of the season but the last few games and this first period is killing me.
welcome back
Get out of the damn way, Fil!
But Miller gets his point on the Williams PPG. Welcome back Willy.
Just when I thought they were gonna steal that period
That happened off of a ridiculously stupid giveaway.
I feel like Howard should have had it. Just because he's been doing so well?
Wow, replay of the skate to Kronner's helmet is insane. A matter of inches.
Nick is on right now. Keep it up. Wow.
Nick didn't go to the high slot at all in the first half of the season. Now he's going there and it's working.
Very scary for Kronwall he might not want to watch that replay, great hustle and goal by Nick, he is on fire, lets get another now
I'm amazed that over half of the NHL wear visors. Good for them.
I'm telling you, Miller isn't going anywhere. Way to stick with it.
miller time, playing great tonight
I think 95% of wings wear visors
I think 95% of wings wear visors
If this game were in HD I could count and find out.
I think 95% of wings wear visors
If this game were in HD I could count and find out.
yea no kidding, I can barely follow the puck, thought about just listening to it on the radio 
Far too close there.
Wings started to fall apart at the end of the period there, but held on well enough.
I think 95% of wings wear visors
If this game were in HD I could count and find out.
yea no kidding, I can barely follow the puck, thought about just listening to it on the radio
I counted from photos, the Wings have seven skaters that don't wear visors. Sixteen do. That's the current roster, including injured reserve, not counting the visor-wearing Justin Abdelkader.
That's one that people would be all over Ozzie for. Wings defense standing around, no help.
Jesus Christ, another chance that never should have happened.
Zata shows why you always put it on net. Wow.
Thank you, McCreary, for not f*cking that up.
So they toss a stick on the ice and that's cool?
Such. f*cking. Bullsh*t. You call that but not any of the goalie interference?
And they hold the f*ck on for the win. Sigh of relief.
And they hold the f*ck on for the win. Sigh of relief.
OBSERVATIONS: We were at the game...somehow the Wings looked better (to us) in "real life" than they did on tv (I watched the first period again at home)...but they did get some bounces, for sure, and a team needs bounces to go its way sometimes (from my perspective, the Wings haven't had very many lucky bounces this season). Nashville has real heavy shots from the points...rocket-like zingers...maybe should check their sticks (no, just kidding, but those shots were a noticeable step-up from those of other teams we've seen and they get them off quickly/rapid fire). Lidstrom is so incredibly good in so many ways. Is Ericsson having a sophomore season, maybe? Eaves, Helm, Miller are making Ken Holland look really smart right now...and they are fun to watch! The only part about seeing a game in person (as opposed to tv or listening to the radio) that I don't like is that I never know who the opposing players are (unless, of course, it's Crosby or Ovechkin or the like)....I don't know that the game was a sellout, but empty seats were few, and there were folks in standing room.
One play I enjoyed in the third period was when Kronner belted Tootoo to the ice. So nice to have #55 back in the lineup! Now the opposition will have to think twice about coming across the Blueline!
Jimmy Howard
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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