Sports

NHL

Zetterberg's 2 put Wings back on map

Associated Press
Published December 13, 2005

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DETROIT - After a brief slump, the Red Wings are playing like one of the league's best teams again.

Henrik Zetterberg is leading the way.

Zetterberg scored twice for the second straight game to lead Detroit to a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.

The Red Wings have three straight victories - reaching a Western Conference-high 44 points - after winning just three of their previous 10 games.

"We're playing a little better," Zetterberg said. "We didn't play an A game, but it was enough."

Nicklas Lidstrom gave the Red Wings a three-goal lead in the third period and Chris Osgood had to make just 16 saves.

Pittsburgh's Mark Recchi scored with 28.9 seconds left. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 36 shots for the Penguins, who have lost seven of eight.

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby was held without a goal for the third straight game.

SENATORS 6, AVALANCHE 2: Dany Heatley scored the go-ahead goal in the third and added two assists, and the visiting Senators scored four times in the final period. Ottawa again had trouble with its power play (1-for-7) and played without Jason Spezza, the NHL's third-leading scorer, because of a hip injury. But after Mike Fisher scored in the first and Christoph Schubert scored his second goal of the season in the second, the Senators turned the game into a rout.

LEAFS 3, DUCKS 2: Tomas Kaberle and Alex Steen scored power-play goals for host Toronto, which ended a three-game skid. Kyle Wellwood also scored for the Maple Leafs, who won despite missing goalie Ed Belfour (lower body injury) and center Eric Lindros (upper body injury). Kaberle's shot from the point gave Toronto a 2-1 lead at 3:03 of the second, and Steen's wrist shot after a rebound made it 3-1 at 11:31. Anaheim's Andy McDonald threaded a pass to Teemu Selanne at the side of the net, and he cut it to 3-2 at 14:50 of the second with his 16th goal.

Wings' Fischer looks to future

Jiri Fischer couldn't control his emotions. Grateful he's still alive, the Red Wings defenseman is hopeful he'll play again. Whether he'll return to the ice won't be known for weeks.

"I'm really, really glad to be here," said Fischer, 25, making his first public comments since collapsing on the bench with cardiac arrest during a Nov. 21 game against Nashville. "Not too many people get a second chance like I did."

Fischer cried as he spoke about the night he collapsed and a possible return.

"I don't foresee myself coming back in the next couple of weeks," he said. "But this is what I know, what I've worked for my whole life. I don't want it to be taken away."

Fisher is being treated with medicine, is undergoing regular tests and hasn't been cleared to play.

Meanwhile, forward Steve Yzerman (groin) is expected to be out two to four weeks.

BLUES: Goalie Patrick Lalime was waived.

PANTHERS: Left wing Niklas Hagman was traded to the Stars in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2007 draft.

[Last modified December 13, 2005, 01:31:15]

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