Johan Franzen scored 45 seconds into overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a wild 6-5 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on the tail end of a home-and-home series between the two clubs.
Drew Miller had a career night, adding a goal and two assists while third-string goalie Joey MacDonald made 25 saves on 30 shots to earn his first win this season for Detroit.
Rick Nash scored with 1:04 left to tie the game at 5 and nearly ended it with just seconds to go in regulation on a wrap around attempt that MacDonald barely held out of the net. Grant Clitsome scored for the second straight game and Steve Mason surrendered all six Red Wings goals on 34 shots.
Detroit dug itself a 2-0 hole for the second straight game when Derick Brassard and Clitsome scored less than five minutes apart to open the game.
The Red Wings had tied it by the end of the first period, however. Valtteri Filppula converted a 2-on-1 rush with Todd Bertuzzi, one-timing a pass past Mason to slice the lead to one. Then with just 40 seconds left in the frame, Miller banked a shot from behind the net off Mason to tie the score.
Matt Calvert gave Columbus the lead back in the second, taking a feed from Jakub Voracek that made its way through two Red Wings defenders. Calvert then converted the breakaway, flipping a shot over a sprawled MacDonald.
Jonathan Ericsson tied the game on another strange bounce, banking a shot off Mason’s skate and in only one minute later. With 12 minutes left in the period, Brian Rafalski gave Detroit its first lead in the home-and-home series with the Jackets, firing a shot that deflected off Mark Methot and in.
R.J. Umberger and Kris Draper traded goals in the third period before Nash’s late tally sent the game to OT.