Detroit, MI – Henrik Zetterberg scored an empty-net goal in the final seconds to complete a hat trick, as the Detroit Red Wings cooled off the St. Louis Blues, 5-3, on Friday.
Zetterberg also had two assists for the Red Wings, who avenged a 6-0 loss to these Blues on Jan. 19. Jonathan Ericsson recorded a goal and an assist.
Jimmy Howard made 23 saves for Detroit, which has won consecutive games for the first time this season.
"I hear a lot about the things we don't have, but I don't know any other teams that have Pav (Pavel Datsyuk) and Z (Zetterberg)," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.
Kevin Shattenkirk, Matt D'Agostini and Patrik Berglund scored for the Blues, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Jaroslav Halak gave up two goals on 11 shots before leaving late in the first period with an injury. Brian Elliott stopped 17-of-19 shots in relief.
Ericsson converted a feed from Zetterberg to tie the game at three at the 4:31 mark of the third period.
Datsyuk's power-play goal at the 11:55 mark made it 4-3 Detroit. With the Blues killing off a match penalty to David Backes for a blow to the head of Kent Huskins, Datsyuk fired a shot from the right circle that got past Elliott.
Zetterberg completed his fifth career hat trick with an empty-net shorthanded goal.
The first period featured four goals and 27 shots. Zetterberg got the scoring started with a power-play goal at the 6:12 mark. Detroit got set up on a 5- on-3 advantage with Damien Brunner controlling the puck along the goal line. He found an open Zetterberg, whose one-timer from the top of the right circle beat Halak.
Zetterberg scored again about two minutes later. This time around, Ericsson hit Zetterberg with a perfect pass and the latter went in on a breakaway. Zetterberg's backhander got past Halak.
The Blues, however, responded with a pair of goals of their own. At the 9:50 mark, Shattenkirk fired a shot from the left circle that hit off the post and went in for a power-play score.
D'Agostini scored on a partial breakaway at the 13:04 mark to make it 2-2.
"We definitely did a good job coming back. From there it was anybody's game," Shattenkirk said.
Berglund's power-play goal 4:30 into the second stanza made it 3-2 St. Louis. Berglund batted in a bouncing puck for the score.
Game Notes
Halak cut his upper lip when he was hit in the mask with a shot ... Zetterberg missed practice on Thursday because he wasn't feeling well ... The Red Wings were 3-for-32 on the power play coming into Friday's game ... Red Wings forward Darren Helm missed the game with a sore back.
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