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 "It's not the first time that's happened," Howard said. "It
probably won't be the last."
Howard's quick composure paid off in a 3-2 shootout win against the
Chicago Blackhawks. Left winger Tomas Tatar scored the tiebreaking
goal during the shootout round to lift the Red Wings, which
completed a two-game sweep of the Blackhawks during the regular
season.
Right winger Gustav Nyquist also scored during the shootout round
for Detroit, which received goals in regulation from center Darren
Helm and Tatar. The Red Wings (32-14-10) won for only the third time
in 11 shootout appearances this season.
Center Jonathan Toews scored the lone shootout goal for the
Blackhawks. Left wingers Brandon Saad and Kris Versteeg scored
during regulation for Chicago (35-18-5), which collected at least
one point for the seventh consecutive game.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said a fast start gave way to a
disappointing finish. The Blackhawks dropped to 7-3 during
shootouts.
 "We did some good things," Quenneville said. "For the first 40
minutes, we were doing what we wanted to do with the puck. Had some
good zone looks. Had some good shots from the point. Had traffic a
lot of times as well. We'll take a point."
Howard proved to be the difference for the game's second point. He
shook off Versteeg's goal that deflected off Kronwall to tie the
score at 2 with 1:23 remaining in the third period. In the shootout,
Howard stopped right winger Patrick Kane and left winger Patrick
Sharp.
A short memory did not always come easily to Howard. The 30-year-old
netminder said he learned how to deal with late mishaps by studying
Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood in net.
"They just played," said Howard, who made 32 saves. "They didn't
think about anything else."
Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford turned aside 26 of 28 shots to
fall to 23-12-4.
After Detroit grabbed a 2-1 lead on Helm's wrist shot in front of
the net with 2:06 to go in the third period, the Blackhawks quickly
evened the score at 2. Versteeg ripped a high shot that hit Howard's
glove and bounced off of Kronwall's shoulder and stick.
Kronwall said it was easier to live with the mistake because of
Detroit's shootout win. He said he and his teammates were able to
stay patient after a difficult first period in which the Blackhawks
posted a 17-6 advantage in shots on goal.
"Any time you play Chicago, it's an emotional game," Kronwall said.
"They create a lot of chances, and you've got to try to eliminate
all of the space out there. But they're so good and they've got so
much firepower up front that it's hard."
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Tatar's one-timer gave Detroit a 1-0 lead with 3:50 remaining in the
second period. Helm received the puck to the right of the net and
snapped a pass across the crease to Tatar, who fired a one-timer
into an open net for his 24th goal before Crawford could recover.
Thirty-nine seconds later, Saad evened the score at 1 with a wrist
shot from the right circle. Howard appeared to be caught off guard
by the rising shot, which beat him stick side as Blackhawks right
winger Marian Hossa crashed toward the net.
Chicago failed to convert on a pair of great scoring chances in the
second period. Center Andrew Shaw fired a shot wide right from a few
feet in front of an open net, and Toews pushed a wraparound attempt
across the front of the goal line as Howard scrambled to recover.
Versteeg said the Blackhawks had no reason to sulk.
"I thought we kept a really good team's chances to a minimum,"
Versteeg said. "(Crawford) did great when he had to step up. There
are a lot of building blocks to build upon here."
NOTES: Blackhawks LW Daniel Carcillo was a healthy scratch for the
second consecutive game. Carcillo, 30, has four goals and four
assists in 36 games this season. ... Red Wings LW Teemu Pulkkinen
returned to the lineup one day after he was recalled from the AHL's
Grand Rapids Griffins. ... Blackhawks D Trevor van Riemsdyk remained
"pretty far" from returning from a lower-body injury, coach Joel
Quenneville said before the game. Van Riemsdyk has not played since
he fractured his left patella Nov. 16 against the Dallas Stars. ...
Red Wings RW Tomas Jurco was a healthy scratch for the first time in
eight games. ... The Blackhawks held a moment of silence before the
game in honor of former player Steve Montador, who died Sunday at
age 35.
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