Red Wings beat Oilers 3-0 for 3rd straight win
Posted: 11.11.2011 at 11:59 PM
DETROIT - Jimmy Howard's name isn't on the NHL All-Star
ballot. That didn't prevent him from shining against the Edmonton
Oilers on Friday night.
Howard had a 24-save shutout to help the Detroit Red Wings beat
the Oilers 3-0.
He insisted that being snubbed on the ballot, that lists 18
other goalies, doesn't motivate him.
"It doesn't bother me one bit," Howard said.
Drew Miller, Niklas Kronwall and Valtteri Filppula scored for
the Red Wings, who have won three straight after a six-game losing
streak.
"We're getting closer to playing the way we want to play,"
Kronwall said. "We're still not taking advantage of power plays.
We had a chance to break the game open earlier than we did."
Howard did his part - as usual.
He has two shutouts in a week and three this season, tying him
for the NHL lead with Nashville's Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick of
the Los Angeles Kings.
"Jimmy has been playing great all year," Kronwall said. "Even
when we were slumping, he was playing great and giving us a chance
to win those games."
No one in net has been playing better than Edmonton's Nikolai
Khabibulin this season.
Khabibulin entered the game with a 7-0-2 record and an NHL-low
0.98 goals-against average, but he gave up a season-high three
goals and made 27 saves.
"He was the same as he's been all season," Oilers coach Tom
Renney said. "I think we gave the Red Wings all they could handle
for about half the game, then we had a hard time keeping up with
them once they got rolling with some momentum."
The Northwest Division-leading Oilers, who were shut out for the
first time this season, have lost three of four after winning six
straight.
"From winning to losing, it changes so quick," Khabibulin
said. "We don't want to panic, but we've got to realize what was
working for us and get back to that."
Miller scored his first goal of the season midway through the
first period, beating Khabibulin with a shot after the puck caromed
off two Oilers. The Red Wings had chances to take a two-goal lead
late in the first during a power play, but Khabibulin went from
post to post, high and low to turn them away.
Kronwall's slap shot early in the second put Detroit ahead 2-0.
The Red Wings then sealed the win with 5:08 left when Filppula
knocked the puck past Khabibulin from in front, off a centering
pass from Henrik Zetterberg.
"With Khabibulin playing the way he is, you gotta get to the
net," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.
As well as Howard has been playing, though, he's not basking in
the glow. Instead, he's deflecting credit toward his teammates by
saying they're doing a lot of "great things," on the ice.
"We have to get through the neutral zone, making teams go a
full 200 feet, we're not turning pucks over," Howard said. "We're
not seeing a lot of odd-man rushes against. Guys are sacrificing
their bodies. It's exciting to play for a goalie when you see
that."
NOTES: Detroit F Todd Bertuzzi was scratched for a third
straight game with a sinus infection. ... Oilers D Cam Barker
didn't play because of an ankle injury. F Ben Eager was a healthy
scratch. ... Edmonton's Shawn Horcoff played in his 700th NHL game,
and Zetterberg was in his 600th after being questionable with a
sore back.