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Red Wings aim for 2-0 lead against Predators

Sat 12th, April 2008

(Sports Network) - The top-seeded Detroit Red Wings will try to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals today, when they host the Nashville Predators for Game 2 at Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings took Game 1 on their home ice as Henrik Zetterberg scored the game-winning goal 6:54 into the third period and added an empty-netter in the final minute to lift Detroit to the 3-1 triumph.

Zetterberg continued his strong play from the regular season, as he was Detroit's leading goal scorer in 2007-08, notching a career-high 43 markers. The 27-year-old Swede has 27 points (17 goals, 20 assists) in 41 career playoff games.

Dominik Hasek made 19 saves, and Johan Franzen also scored for Detroit. Hasek and Red Wings backup goaltender Chris Osgood often alternated starts in the regular season, but Detroit head coach Mike Babcock is sticking with Hasek in the playoffs.

The 43-year-old Hasek, who helped Detroit win its last Stanley Cup title in 2002, is 64-47 with a 1.98 goals against average and .929 save percentage in 116 playoff games.

Jordin Tootoo scored for eighth-seeded Nashville, which is competing in the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Dan Ellis allowed two goals on 39 shots to take the loss in his first-ever playoff outing.

With the score tied 1-1 in the third period, Nashville nearly moved ahead with 14:50 remaining in regulation when Vernon Fiddler hit the post on a 2-on-1, but soon after it was the Red Wings who grabbed the lead.

Zetterberg alertly blocked Shea Weber's clearing attempt above the left circle near the blue line and the puck remained in the Detroit offensive zone. Pavel Datsyuk capitalized on the turnover, gained control along the left half-wall and centered the puck for Zetterberg, whose laser one-timer from the slot flew past Ellis at the 6:54 mark.

On the injury front, Predators centerman David Legwand has been out since March 7 with a deep bone bruise in his left foot, but is a game-time decision for this afternoon's test. Legwand recorded 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 65 games this season.

The Red Wings were the winners of this year's Presidents' Trophy as the league's best team in the regular season. Detroit has won the award in three of the last four years and six times overall.

Detroit also won the Central Division for a seventh straight season and hit the 100-point mark for a record-tying eighth campaign in a row.

The Red Wings didn't exactly own the Predators this year, going 5-3-0 against them in the regular season. Detroit and Nashville have met once in the postseason, as the Red Wings defeated the Preds in six games during the 2004 conference quarterfinals.

Detroit was the best home team in the NHL this season, going 29-9-3 at the Joe. Nashville was just 18-18-5 as the visiting team.

This series will shift to Nashville for Game 3, as the Predators host Monday's test at the Sommet Center.

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