Red Wings close gap on league-leading Predators
Wed Mar 7, 2007 1:52AM EST
DETROIT (Reuters) - The Detroit Red Wings edged Nashville 4-3 in a Western Conference showdown on Tuesday, reducing the Predators' lead at the top of the standings to a single point.
Johan Franzen gave the Wings victory with his goal in the extra shootout round after each team had scored once in the first three shots. Detroit goalie Chris Osgood then stopped Martin Erat to clinch the win.
The two clubs play three more times before the end of the regular season, including two games next week.
"It's a lot like it's going to be in the playoffs," Franzen told reporters.
Both teams were missing several key regulars. Nashville's Peter Forsberg missed his second straight game with an upper body injury while Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek is out with a thigh injury.
Nashville netminder Tomas Vokoun said the missing players did not make the game any less competitive.
"It's been kind of like the playoffs, a lot of closer scores as the season goes on."
Pavel Datsyuk scored at 4:23 in the first period to open the scoring for the Wings, before Erat tied the score on a powerplay 11 minutes later.
Jason Arnott put the Preds ahead five minutes into the second period, but goals 25 seconds apart from Robert Lang and Mathieu Schneider put Detroit up 3-2.
Greg Zanon's third period strike took the game into overtime.
*Sidney Crosby scored his third shootout goal in the past four games as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4.
*Simon Gagne scored 1:47 into overtime as the Philadelphia Flyers upset the New Jersey Devils 5-4.
*The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled into an eighth place tie with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference with a 3-0 win over the Washington Capitals.
*Evgeni Nabokov posted his second straight shutout as the San Jose Sharks blanked the Minnesota Wild 3-0.
(Writing by Roger Lajoie in Toronto)
