Red Wings Top Blackhawks 3-2 In OT, Tie Team Mark
DETROIT (AP) — Todd Bertuzzi scored his second goal Saturday at 4:21 in overtime, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Detroit has won 14 straight at home to match a franchise record set in 1965.
Chicago's Jonathan Toews forced overtime with 51.7 seconds left in the third period, picking up his 23rd goal of the season.
Pavel Datsyuk assisted on two goals in the first period, but the Red Wings couldn't score the third goal they needed in regulation.
Chicago began the day atop the tightly contested Central Division — leading St. Louis by a point, Detroit by two points and Nashville by five — and has a chance to end it in third place behind the Blues and Red Wings.
Detroit's Jimmy Howard, who gave up a goal to rookie Andrew Shaw late in the second period, made 25 saves to earn his NHL-high 26th win.
Corey Crawford had to make 40 saves to give the Blackhawks a shot to win.
After pulling Crawford for an extra skater, Chicago called timeout and scored following a faceoff in the Detroit end.
The Red Wings haven't lost at home since Nov. 3, when Calgary beat them 4-1.
The Blackhawks have won just three of their last nine games.
Detroit dominated the first period, finishing with 21 shots and goals by Tomas Holmstrom and Bertuzzi. Howard had to make just four saves in the opening period.
Holmstrom, who hadn't scored in his last eight games, put the Red Wings ahead midway through the first period. He was standing in front of the net and redirected a shot from Ian White on the game's first power play.
Bertuzzi scored his first goal on a breakaway off an up-the-middle pass from Datsyuk, who will represent the Red Wings along with Howard at the All-Star game in two weeks.
Howard helped Chicago score with 5:06 left in the second period when he couldn't stop the puck behind his net, hitting it with the heel of his stick to set up Shaw in front of the net.
He faced a flurry of shots in the third, including 11 in the first 6-plus minutes of the period, and kept all of them out of the net to maintain the 2-1 lead.
The Blackhawks had a four-minute power play midway through the third after Drew Miller was sent off for high sticking. But they managed just two shots with the extra skater and caught iron on another attempt.
Miller had a breakaway after the penalty was killed, but was denied by Crawford.
The Red Wings had opportunities to make it a two-goal game late in regulation, but Henrik Zetterberg hit a post and Danny Cleary's shot got past Crawford and trickled across the crease and away from the net.
NOTES: Chicago's Marcus Kruger played after missing seven games with a concussion. ... Bertuzzi missed the previous game with back and groin ailments. ... Detroit's previous 14-game winning streak at home was from Jan. 21 through March 25, 1965. ... The Red Wings have won two of three against Chicago and they'll play three more times in the regular season. ... The 20-year-old Shaw has three goals in six games. ... During the previous 13 wins at home, Datsyuk had 12 assists and 16 points. ... Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford attended the game.
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