Wings Beat Wild In OT 3-2
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Johan Franzen scored a power-play goal with 48.5 seconds left in overtime, rallying the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Ian White and Jiri Hudler also scored for Detroit, which trailed 2-0 in the second period.
After a scramble in front of the Wild net, Thomas Holmstrom backhanded a short pass and Franzen fought off a check and poked it in. The play was upheld by video review. It was Detroit's first power-play goal in 19 chances this season.
Detroit is off to its first 4-0 start since 1997-98, a season that ended with the Red Wings hoisting the Stanley Cup.
The Red Wings won a team-best six in a row to begin the 1972-73 season.
Greg Zanon and Cal Clutterbuck scored for Minnesota, which was outshot 41-14.
Zanon gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead with 11.3 seconds left in the opening period beating Jimmy Howard, who was screened, with a slap shot from the top of the slot. It was Zanon's first goal in 136 games dating to Dec. 12, 2009.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Zanon had the second-longest goal-less drought in the league. Mattias Ohlund of Tampa Bay is scoreless in 141 straight games.
It was also the first goal allowed by Detroit in 140 minutes, 13 seconds dating back to opening night.
Clutterbuck gave the Wild a 2-0 lead 16 seconds into the second period, one-timing a feed from Colton Gilles past Howard. Gilles took the puck away from a Red Wings defenseman behind the net, cut back to the right and saw Clutterbuck coming down the slot alone.
Detroit controlled play throughout the middle period, and finally beat Harding with 47.7 seconds left when White picked up a loose puck in the left circle, cut across the crease and beat Harding low on the glove side. The goal came about 75 seconds after Pavel Datsyuk fired wide on 2-on-none breakaway.
Hudler scored at 3:46 of the third period, tipping in a shot from Jakub Kindl.
It was the first start since March 26, 2010, at Detroit for Harding. He left that game with a hip/labrum injury to end his season. But things got worse six months later when he tore two ligaments in a preseason game that forced him to miss all of last season.
He didn't need to make any spectacular saves, but was fundamentally sound throughout, moving side-to-side, squaring up against shooters and controlling rebounds.
Howard, 7-0-1 in his last eight starts against Minnesota, finished with 12 saves.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
