By Michael Caples –
DETROIT – After back-to-back losses, the Red Wings needed a spark from their leaders.
Their leaders delivered.
The Red Wings got back in the ‘W’ column, recording a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday evening at Joe Louis Arena in their annual breast cancer awareness night.
Todd Bertuzzi, Niklas Kronwall, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg (twice) all scored for Detroit, while Daniel Alfredsson picked up assists on the first three goals.
The Red Wings scored on three of seven power-play opportunities, while holding the Flyers scoreless on four penalty kills.
Jimmy Howard – donning pink and white pads for to support the breast cancer awareness mission – stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced to register his third win of the season.
“Well obviously a good win for us,” coach Mike Babcock said. “Good specialty teams, [Jimmy Howard] made a couple big saves, and you have to earn your night to feel good about yourself and feel confident and I think we can still play well better, but it was a good step for our team.”
Zetterberg finished with two goals and an assist, while Datsyuk and Kronwall both finished with a goal and two assists, as well.
Saturday’s game also marked the NHL debut of Grand Rapids native Luke Glendening. Glendening, former captain of the Michigan Wolverines, centered the Red Wings’ fourth line and played for 7:32.
“I was certainly nervous; I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t,” Glendening said. “But I think the excitement overtook the nervousness, and when I got out there, it was just the same game I’ve been playing since I was a kid.”
Bertuzzi started the scoring in the first period, burying a wraparound try at the 7:13 mark during a Red Wings power play.
“That was huge,” Babcock said. “We got one, Bert just got it done there on his own, and then I think it loosened the guys up and we were able to move the puck, get pucks back, so that was a real positive thing for us. You need your scorers to score to win games, but they have to get their confidence, and in order to do that, you gotta score a little bit, so this should be a good thing for us.”
Kronwall increased the Detroit lead to two halfway through the second period, scoring on the power play at the 11:08 mark of the middle frame.
The Flyers sliced the Red Wings’ lead in half when Northern Michigan Wildcats alum Erik Gustavsson beat Howard with a slapshot less than a minute after Kronwall’s goal.
Datsyuk gave the Wings their second two-goal lead of the night three minutes into the third period, beating Philadelphia goaltender Ray Emery with a highlight-reel backhander.
After the Flyers once again pulled within a goal of a tie, Zetterberg collected a pass from Datsyuk just above the slot, and fired a wrist shot past Emery to give the Wings a 4-2 lead. The Red Wings’ captain moved into 8th all-time in goals by a Red Wing, passing John Ogrodnick, with the third-period tally.
Zetterberg increased the lead to three in the final minute of regulation, sliding the puck into an empty net after yet another feed from Datsyuk.
The game ended with an ugly moment; former Red Wings forward Kris Newbury followed Jordin Tootoo to center ice after a hit along the boards, and slashed Tootoo badly in the back of his knee. Tootoo was slow to get up, while Newbury was only accessed a two-minute minor for slashing.