Red Wings 4, Predators 1
Valtteri Filppula collected two goals and an assist as the Detroit Red
Wings breezed to their season-high fifth straight victory with a 4-1
home triumph over the Central Division-rival Nashville Predators on
Saturday.
Henrik Zetterberg had a goal and an assist, Danny Cleary also scored and
Jiri Hudler set up a pair of tallies as Detroit won for the sixth
consecutive time at Joe Louis Arena.
Making his 15th straight start, Jimmy Howard turned aside 18 shots but
lost his bid for his fourth shutout of the season when
defenseman Jack Hillen scored 5:34 into the third period.
All was not rosy for Detroit, which saw Patrick Eaves taken off the ice
on a stretcher after Nashville defenseman Roman Josi's slap shot hit him
in the right ear late in the contest.
With his team on the power play, Filppula opened the scoring with 6:37
remaining in the first period. The 27-year-old Finn cleaned up a loose
puck after Todd Bertuzzi hit the post and backhanded it past Pekka
Rinne.
After Zetterberg doubled the advantage 1:31 into the second period,
Filppula was credited with his fourth goal in three games just over
seven minutes later on a deflection of a Hudler shot.
Rinne finished with 33 saves for Nashville, which matched a season-high four-game losing skid (0-3-1) with the setback.