Peverley, Ellis Help Predators End Struggles in Detroit

DETROIT -- Rich Peverley scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and Dan Ellis made 34 saves to lead the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 victory over the Red Wings on Saturday.

Defenseman Dan Hamhuis also tallied and Jerred Smithson added an empty-netter for Nashville, which won at Joe Louis Arena for the first time in seven games dating to March 21, 2006.

With the win, the Predators (36-29-8) moved into a tie with the Vancouver Canucks (35-26-10) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Canucks visit the Dallas Stars later Saturday.

A mixup behind the Detroit net led to Peverley's goal at 6:10 of the second period that snapped a 1-1 tie. Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood left the puck behind the net, but Peverley beat defenseman Niklas Kronwall to the loose puck and tucked it into the corner of the net before Osgood could recover.

Smithson sealed the victory with an empty-net tally with 18 ticks left in the contest.

Hamhuis opened the scoring at 10:27 of the opening session when he skated in on Osgood and slipped the puck between his left skate and the goalpost. It was Hamhuis's fourth goal of the season and first in 31 games.

Detroit tied the game on a goal by defenseman Niklas Kronwall with 2:17 left in the first. Johan Franzen sent a cross-ice pass to Kronwall, who was cutting to the right faceoff circle, and he one-timed a shot past Ellis.

Other than that tally, Ellis was stellar for most of the contest. He turned aside nine shots in the first period, 13 in the second and 12 in the third to help the Predators snap a three-game losing streak.

Osgood made 24 saves for the Red Wings, who had a five-game winning streak stopped.

From National Post