Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) – Gustav Nyquist scored twice on power plays
and had an assist during a four-goal first period that carried the Detroit Red
Wings to a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Joe Louis Arena.
Pavel Datsyuk contributed to the early barrage with a goal and a helper and
added an empty-netter in the third period after the Kings closed the gap.
Jimmy Howard made 28 saves for the Red Wings, who have won two straight and
five of their last seven games.
Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez supplied the goals for Los Angeles, which has
lost each of its first three stops on a five-game road trip. Jonathan Quick
was beaten four times on 12 first-period shots, but made 22 saves over the
last two frames.
Nyquist scored from the slot off a feed from Henrik Zetterberg 5:51 into the
game.
Datsyuk stole the puck from Dwight King in the Los Angeles zone and tried to
make a pass to Zetterberg, but the puck deflected in off Kings defenseman Jake
Muzzin at 9:42.
Nyquist scored his second goal just over two minutes later. A Niklas Kronwall
point shot caromed off the end boards and Nyquist was at the left side of the
net to put the puck home.
Tomas Tatar then converted a pass from Nyquist with 4:32 remaining to cap the
flurry.
Martinez scored at 10:41 of the second period after Mike Richards dug out a
puck Howard believed was frozen, and the defending champs halved their deficit
as Toffoli buried a rebound for his third short-handed goal of the season at
1:48 of the third period.
With Detroit still on the power play, Kings captain Dustin Brown was tripped
by Danny DeKeyser on a breakaway, triggering a penalty shot. Howard made a
stick save as Brown tried to go five-hole.
Datsyuk lit the lamp a second time with 1:10 remaining into a vacant cage.
Game Notes
The Red Wings have won four straight and five of the last six meetings …
Zetterberg and Kronwall both had two assists … Kings defenseman Drew Doughty
was a minus-3.
