Detroit team marks sixth straight victory
Star News Services
Published: Monday, November 06, 2006
DETROIT - Dan Cleary doesn't put the puck in the net a lot, but he made the most of his latest scoring chances.
Cleary netted his first two goals of the season, including a key short-handed effort, to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday night.
Henrik Zetterberg and Mikael Samuelsson also scored, and Dominik Hasek made 16 saves for Detroit (9-4-1), which won its sixth straight.
Ron Hainsey scored for Columbus (4-7-1) and Pascal Leclaire stopped 23 shots before being replaced by Fredrick Norrena after two periods.
STRONG OFFENCE
The Red Wings outshot the Blue Jackets 37-17.
"We controlled most of the game and we were rewarded," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.
Hainsey's power-play goal tied it at 1-1 at 6:32 of the second period, but the Red Wings answered with three straight.
"We got back in the game early in the second and got it tied 1-1," Columbus coach Gerard Gallant said. "But we got the next goal scored shortly after that."
Zetterberg slapped in a rebound from the left circle at 8:45, and Cleary netted his second goal on a short-handed breakaway with 5:56 left in the period.
Cleary beat everyone to a loose puck in the Blue Jackets' zone.
Patience pays off
"I read the bounce and got a good jump on them and went in and tried to be patient," said Cleary, who had only three goals in 77 games last season. "We practise breakaways a lot. I tried to outwait him."
Samuelsson backhanded a shot in during a goal mouth scramble with 4:27 remaining in the middle frame to cap the scoring.
Columbus, which beat Calgary at home in a shootout Friday night, couldn't put together back-to-back good efforts.
"As soon as they scored the second goal, it was over," Gallant said. "The guys stopped competing and I don't know why."
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