Final Score: Detroit 5, Columbus 2
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Johan Franzen made his 400th career game a
memorable one, recording two goals and an assist as the Detroit Red Wings
remained undefeated with a 5-2 victory over the winless Columbus Blue Jackets.
Valtteri Filppula assisted on each of Franzen's goals and added an empty-net
goal in the closing minutes of the game to give Detroit a perfect 5-0-0 record
for the first time since the 1997-98 season, when they went 5-0 with a tie.
Jimmy Howard stopped 32 shots in the win.
Aaron Johnson had a goal and an assist, while Steve Mason made 28 saves in a
losing effort for the Blue Jackets, who fell to 0-6-1 on the young season.
"These are tough times right now. We got to make sure we stick together, stay
upbeat and try to get out of this," Blue Jackets center Rick Nash said about
his team's start of the season.
Detroit took advantage of an R.J. Umberger holding penalty to take the lead in
the first period. Franzen attempted a pass from the right circle down into the
corner, but the puck bounced off a Columbus defender and right back to
Franzen, who wristed a shot through a screen to the far side of the net and
past the glove of Mason just over nine minutes into the game.
Another Blue Jacket penalty led to Franzen's second power-play goal of the
period because of a lucky bounce. Franzen grabbed the puck at the right circle
after Filppula won a faceoff inside Columbus' zone and skated down the right
side of the ice. He sent the puck across the ice on an attempted pass, but the
disc deflected off of Blue Jackets defenseman Johnson as he laid his stick
down and into the net.
Columbus answered less than a minute later when Johnson's shot from the right
circle went through the legs of Howard, hit the right post and was stuffed
into the net by Derick Brassard to make it a 2-1 game.
The Red Wings took their two-goal lead back just 27 seconds into the second
period when Pavel Datsyuk collected a rebound in the slot and wristed it
through a crowd and into the twine.
"Today we were able to get a lot of second and third chances and get some
goals," Filppula said.
Niklas Lidstrom's hooking penalty at the end of the second period gave
Columbus a power play for the first two minutes of the third and they
took advantage at the 1:42 mark. Antoine Vermette fell down at the right point
but managed to swipe the puck to the bottom corner from the ground. Vinny
Prospal then quickly sent the puck to the right circle and Johnson fired a
one-timer through Howard's legs to make it a 3-2 contest.
But Lidstrom rifled a slap shot under the crossbar on a power play seconds
after Columbus killed a 5-on-3 with 12:14 left in the game. Filppula laid
the puck into the empty net within the final two minutes to seal the win.
Game Notes
Columbus is now 17-37-10 all-time against Detroit, including a 7-22-3 mark at
Joe Louis Arena...Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart was appearing in his 800th
career game...Columbus went 1-for-4 on the power play and has scored a power-
play goal in three straight games...Detroit went 3-for-5 on the man
advantage...Columbus has scored two goals in each of its seven games this
season.
Source: The Sports Network
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