Henrik Zetterberg scored 2:59 into overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a 5-4 win over Vancouver on Wednesday, snapping a four-game winning streak for the Canucks.
Zetterberg had two goals and an assist on the night, while Dan Cleary, Valtteri Filppula and Nicklas Lidstrom also deposited goals for Detroit, which had dropped its previous two decisions. Jimmy Howard returned to the net for the first time since a 4-1 loss in Chicago on Friday and made 35 saves.
The Sedin brothers, Henrik and Daniel, each had a power play goal and assist for the Canucks, while former Red Wing Mikael Samuelsson and University of Michigan product Jeff Tambellini each deposited goals for the Canucks. Roberto Luongo stopped 40 shots in the defeat.
Zetterberg scored his first goal early in the third period to tie the game at 3, banking a shot from behind the goal off Luongo just 1:54 into the period. Then with two minutes left in the extra session, Zetterberg fired a shot through Luongo’s pads from the faceoff circle to give the Red Wings the win.
Detroit played most of the game without star forward Pavel Datsyuk, who left the game in the first period with a broken hand. Datsyuk fell awkwardly on his right arm late in the period and did not return to the Red Wings bench.
The Wings got on the board first halfway into the opening period when Brian Rafalski fed a long stretch pass to Todd Bertuzzi to create a two-on-one rush into the Canucks end. Bertuzzi then slid a pass to Cleary, who fired a wrist shot past Luongo.
The Canucks struck back in force in the second, netting three goals to take control of the game. Two came on nearly identical plays by the Sedin brothers on the power play.
Daniel Sedin started the first goal 1:11 into the second period on the power play, throwing a pass down low to Ryan Kesler, who was screening Howard. Kesler then backhanded a pass to Henrik Sedin, who tipped in the pass to tie the score.
Filppula got Detroit the lead right back at the 6:29 mark, potting a rebound off Cleary’s drive past a diving Luongo after Vancouver turned the puck over in their own zone.
The Sedins then struck again, this time with Daniel Sedin recording the goal on a similar play to the first goal after Filppula took a penalty for closing his hand on the puck. Samuelsson gave Vancouver a 3-2 lead with just 21 seconds left in the period, firing a point shot through Howard’s legs on a screened shot.
After Zetterberg tied the game at 3, Tambellini fired a laser shot off the post and into the top of the net halfway through the third period to give the Canucks a 4-3 lead.
Detroit didn’t give up, taking advantage of a cross-checking call to Alexander Burrows to send the game to overtime. Zetterberg fired a shot from the point that Luongo stopped, but the rebound kicked right to Lidstrom who easily deposited his eighth goal into the empty net.
Detroit gets no time to enjoy the victory, travelling to St. Louis tonight for tomorrow’s game with the Blues.