Bertuzzi's 2 goals carry Detroit over Edmonton 5-3
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Todd Bertuzzi scored twice, including the game winner, and the Detroit Red Wings snapped a mini-slide with a 5-3 victory over the slumping Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
After Edmonton rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game late, Detroit got a break when Bertuzzi's shot banked in off the skate of defenseman Ladislav Smid with 2:50 left. The Red Wings, who had dropped two straight, sealed the win 44 seconds later on Darren Helm's goal.
Henrik Zetterberg and Kris Draper also scored for Detroit, which moved into a tie atop the NHL standings with Vancouver.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gilbert Brule, Theo Peckham and Sam Gagner scored for Edmonton, which has lost seven straight. It is the Oilers' worst skid since a 13-game slide from Dec. 31-Jan 30 last season.
The Red Wings took a 1-0 lead 3:43 in when Zetterberg's point shot found its way in through a sea of bodies in front of goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for his 15th goal of the season.
Edmonton tied it at 11:38 when Brule converted Liam Reddox's drop pass by lifting a backhander over the glove of goalie Chris Osgood.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Detroit regained the lead 6:40 into the second when Bertuzzi took a loose puck behind the net and hooked a backhander past Khabibulin.
The Red Wings made it 3-1 at 10:43 of the second when Helm sent Draper in on a partial breakaway. Draper beat Khabibulin with a great deke for his third goal.
Edmonton closed within 3-2 at 4:54 of the third when Gagner found a pinching Peckham from behind the net, and tied it with 8:29 remaining as Gagner battled to control the puck off a faceoff and fired a shot between Osgood's legs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NOTES: Detroit won the first two meetings this season after dropping three of four last season. ... Magnus Paajarvi returned from being a healthy scratch and played on Edmonton's first line with Gagner and Ales Hemsky. Rookie D Jeff Petry and veteran Jim Vandermeer came back from injuries. ... Oilers RW Jordan Eberle (ankle) is expected to be out for 2-to-3 weeks. ... Detroit D Brad Stuart was back in the lineup after getting hit in the back of the head by a shot in the Red Wings' previous game against Philadelphia. ... Red Wings RW Patrick Eaves missed his third consecutive game because of an elbow injury. ... Zetterberg and Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom stretched their point streaks to eight games.