Red Wings 5, Blue Jackets 2
Johan Franzen netted a pair of power-play goals and seven-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom also scored with the man advantage as the undefeated Detroit Red Wings skated to a 5-2 home triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.
Valtteri Filppula collected an empty-net goal and three assists, Pavel Datsyuk also scored and Jimmy Howard turned aside 32 shots for Detroit (5-0-0), which will travel to the nation's capital on Saturday to face the Washington Capitals (6-0-0) in a battle of the NHL's remaining undefeated teams.
After the Red Wings failed on their first 18 power-play attempts this season, Franzen netted the overtime game-winner in a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild last Saturday.
Franzen continued his hot play on Friday by making Columbus pay for its first two penalties. With two power-play goals in just over a five-minute span in the first period, Franzen has scored five times and set up seven other goals in his last 11 games versus the Blue Jackets.
Datsyuk gave Detroit a 3-1 lead just 27 seconds into the second period after wristing a shot past Steve Mason for his second goal of the season. Lidstrom's power-play goal in the third period completed the Red Wings' 3-for-5 effort with the man advantage.
Defenseman Aaron Johnson collected a goal and an assist and Derick Brassard scored for the second time as many games for winless Columbus (0-6-1), which has scored two goals in every contest this season and has lost 13 straight games dating back to last season.