Pavel Datsyuk scored twice and assisted on another goal as the Detroit Red Wings thrashed Nashville 5-2 on Saturday, handing the Predators their first road loss of the season.
Backup Chris Osgood was solid in the Detroit net, handling 25 shots to record his 398th career win to leave him just two shy of becoming just the 10th netminder to post 400 victories.
“It’s taken forever to get to 400, so I just try to play the games and not focus on that,” Osborne told reporters. “It’s been hard to do, to be honest. You do think about it.”
With No. 1 netminder Jimmy Howard sidelined with back spasms, Osgood is sure to see more work as the Red Wings head out on a three-game road trip through western Canada with stops in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
Nashville will also be spending plenty of time on the road over the next three weeks with just one of the their next nine games at home.
After winning their first three road contests, the Predators kicked off their current five-game road swing with a lopsided loss to their Central Division rivals.
Datsyuk opened the scoring by hammering a rebound into a gaping Nashville net, while Brad Stuart collected his first goal of the season when he stabbed home a puck laying on the goal line to give the Wings a 2-0 lead.
The teams traded goals in the second, Predators Joel Ward snapping a shot from the slot between Osgood’s pads before Datsyuk notched his second of the night to restore the Wings’ two-goal cushion.
Tomas Holmstrom added to the Detroit lead with a power-play tally to open the third before Patrick Eaves put the Wings in charge 5-1.
Kevin Klein answered for -Nashville to close out the scoring.
“I thought Pav [Datsyuk] was real good today, he was just entertaining the crowd,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said.
RANGERS 2, MAPLE LEAFS 0
In Toronto, New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves to earn his 25th career shutout in a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs have now lost five of their last six games.
The Rangers, who were playing their third game in four days, showed early signs of fatigue, but a backhand goal in the first period by Brian Boyle gave them an early lead that was extended in the second period with a penalty shot goal by Ryan Callahan.
Callahan had earned the penalty shot when he was tripped by the defense and was one-on-one with Maple Leafs goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
He converted the penalty shot and scored for the fourth successive game, when he faked Giguere to his forehand before snapping a low shot into the net. It was also his fourth goal of the season.
Lundqvist was aided by his teammates, who blocked 35 shots, while Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski hit the post with less than five minutes remaining in the third period.
Saturday’s other results:
‧ Bruins 4, Senators 0
‧ Flyers 6, Islanders 1
‧ Penguins 3, Hurricanes 0
‧ Panthers 3, Canadiens 1
‧ Blackhawks 3, Wild 1
‧ Stars 4, Sabres 0
‧ Blues 4, Thrashers 3, SO
‧ Avalanche 5, Blue Jackets 1
‧ Lightning 3, Coyotes 0
‧ Sharks 5, Ducks 2
‧ Capitals 7, Flames 2
‧ Kings 3, Devils 1
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