Franzen, Red Wings upend Blues 3-2 in SO

[April 05, 2012]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Johan Franzen scored on consecutive shots in the third period to end Brian Elliott's shutout streak after more than 3 1-2 games, and Todd Bertuzzi netted the lone goal in a shootout as the Detroit Red Wings rallied to beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Pavel Datsyuk set up both regulation goals for the Red Wings, who moved a point ahead of Nashville for fourth in the Western Conference with 101 points. Both teams have two games remaining.

Detroit, over 100 points for the 12th consecutive season, is 9-2 in shootouts. The Red Wings handed the Blues their second straight home loss, dropping them to 30-5-5 and leaving them two points behind NHL-leading Vancouver and the New York Rangers.

David Perron and Andy McDonald scored for St. Louis, which has 107 points for second place in the West behind Vancouver.

The Red Wings' Jimmy Howard stopped T.J. Oshie, McDonald and David Perron in the shootout.

Elliott, who had a franchise-record shutout streak of 241 minutes, 33 seconds snapped, finished with 26 saves through overtime. He entered the game leading the NHL with a 1.48 goals-against average and .943 save percentage.

The Blues found some offense while killing off a boarding major against Ryan Reaves in the third period when Perron scored on a short-handed breakaway. Perron stripped Valtteri Filppula in the neutral zone and steamed in on Howard, beating him with a backhander at 7:19.

Three minutes later, McDonald also scored unassisted to make it 2-0.

Franzen scored his 27th with a shot from inside the right faceoff dot at 13:55, and then got the Red Wings even at 2 off a cross-ice feed from Datsyuk at 16:10.

Elliott made the biggest save the rest of regulation, lifting his pad high to foil Filppula with just under 3 1/2 minutes left.

The Red Wings totaled just two shots on three power plays in the first two periods, often stymied by blocked shots by the Blues. St. Louis has allowed just five goals in its opponents' last 90 chances.

NOTES: Perron has four goals in four games, and 20 overall. ... The Blues are 4-10 in shootouts. ... Bertuzzi, who has 14 goals, is 5 for 9 in the shootout.

[Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.