In the battle between the top two teams in the NHL, a little-known forward made the difference for the Detroit Red Wings.
Jiri Hudler scored twice Wednesday, including the go-ahead goal, as the Red Wings surged past the Nashville Predators in both the NHL and Central Division standings with a 4-2 win.
Hudler's heroics came a night after his goal was the winner in Detroit's 5-2 win in Nashville.
``I thought we did a good job against their top guys,'' Predators coach Barry Trotz said. ``(Pavel) Datsyuk didn't really hurt us in the two games.
``Hudler is not the first guy you think of, but he really hurt us. He was the difference in both games.''
The two-game sweep of Nashville puts Detroit in a good position as the playoffs draw close, but Red Wings coach Mike Babcock isn't sure that matters.
``Is there a team we want to play in the first round?'' Babcock asked. ``No. They're all too good.
``In the Western Conference last year, the top four seeds lost in the first round. Well, the West is even closer than it was last year.''
Elsewhere in the NHL it was: Colorado 3 Calgary 2, Pittsburgh 3 New Jersey 0 and Columbus 5 Anaheim 4 (SO).
At Detroit, Hudler made it 3-2 early in the third period after tying the game with 3:37 left in the second.
Both teams competed with playoff-like intensity and that led to plenty of checking, shoving, swinging gloves and trash talk.
``It's always tough to play against them because the games make a difference,'' Nashville's Kimmo Timonen said. ``It's like a playoff game for us _ and for them.''
Nashville went ahead on goals by Alexander Radulov in the first, and Jason Arnott in the second but the Red Wings responded each time.
Nicklas Lidstrom made it 1-1 early in the second and Hudler scored off a rebound late in the period.
On the go-ahead goal, Hudler charged to the net and beat Chris Mason on his short side with a shot from the bottom of the right circle off Robert Lang's pass.
``I'm having a blast,'' Hudler said.
Nashville had a power play with 6:17 left, but didn't get off a shot. Shortly after Mason went off for an extra skater, Kirk Maltby scored an empty-net goal with 37 seconds left. Mason had 31 saves.
Dominik Hasek made 27 saves, helping Detroit improve to 5-1-1 against the Predators this season. Their last meeting of the regular season is March 29 in Nashville.
Both teams were missing key injured players, such as Nashville's Peter Forsberg and Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg, just as they did in a pair of recent games.
In the previous 10 games overall, Detroit and Nashville were 6-1-3.
Hudler has three goals in two games, including the winner in Detroit's 5-2 victory Tuesday at Nashville.
``He's been on fire lately,'' Zetterberg said.
The 23-year-old centre is making the most of first opportunity to play regularly in the NHL after beginning the season with one goal in 16 games. He has 14 overall in 65 games this season.
``It's not like he just turned the switch,'' Babcock said. ``He's getting better and better.
``He has a chance because of his heart, skill and ability to be a difference-maker.''
Detroit dominated the third period as it has all season. The Red Wings entered the game scoring an NHL-high 89 goals in the frame, and had outscored Nashville 7-3 in the third previously this season.
Avalanche 3 Flames 2
At Denver, Paul Stastny extended his NHL rookie record point streak to 19 games with a third-period goal and Colorado stayed in the playoff hunt with a victory over Calgary.
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Penguins 3 Devils 0
At East Rutherford, N.J., Jocelyn Thibault stopped 25 shots for his first shutout in more than three years and Pittsburgh beat New Jersey.
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Blue Jackets 5 Ducks 4 (SO)
At Anaheim, Calif., Nikolai Zherdev scored twice and David Vyborny got the only goal in a five-round shootout, leading Columbus over the Ducks.
