Zetterberg scores as OT clock runs out, Red Wings top Canucks 4-3

Zetterberg beats the OT clock, lifts Wings to win

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Henrik Zetterberg scored as the overtime buzzer sounded to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

Zetterberg peeled out of the corner around defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, who had lost his stick, and into the slot before lifting a backhand over the left shoulder of Roberto Luongo as time ran out.

Jimmy Howard made 29 saves for the Red Wings, who bounced back from a shootout loss in Edmonton on Friday to move two points ahead of ninth-place Calgary in the Western Conference playoff race with 11 games left.

Todd Bertuzzi and Pavel Datsyuk scored 5 seconds apart and Valteri Filppula added a short-handed breakaway goal with 2:21 left in the second period as the Red Wings rebounded from a two-goal deficit.

Daniel Sedin tied it for Vancouver 5 minutes into the third.

Detroit tied Friday’s game with less than a second left and beat Calgary with a late goal on Monday.

Luongo finished with 50 saves for the Canucks, 3-1-1 on a five-game homestand that followed an NHL-record 14 straight road games while Vancouver hosted the Olympics.

Kyle Wellwood and Shane O’Brien each had a goal and assist for the Canucks, who took a 2-0 in the first period. Things changed quickly with 7:26 left the second.

Filppula’s sharp-angle shot ended up in the skates of Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa in front of the post on the far side. Bieksa looked around in both directions before he realized where it was. By then, Bertuzzi knocked it in.

On the ensuing faceoff, Datsyuk won a battle for the puck, skated over the blue line and snapped a 45-foot wrist past Luongo’s blocker 5 seconds later. It was the fastest two goals scored by Detroit and given up by Vancouver.

The Canucks responded with a push, forcing Howard to make a couple of good saves in tight, and drew a late penalty on defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. But Alexander Edler fumble the puck at his blue line on the power play, and Filppula picked it up and beat Luongo.

Detroit outshot the Canucks 17-8 in the opening period.

Wellwood scored the first goal less than a minute after a power play expired when Ehrhoff’s point shot hit him in a crowd in front of the net and deflected past Howard. The second goal came 10 minutes later. O’Brien’s point shot went in off Detroit’s Darren Helm in front.

Howard, a 25-year-old rookie, made his 18th straight start ahead of three-time Stanley Cup winner Chris Osgood despite playing Friday.

He had little chance on the first two deflection goals, and made a handful of stellar saves before Sedin tied it again on a strange play. Bieksa’s long shot hit a Detroit stick, arced high in the air and appeared headed over the net. But Sedin jumped up to grab it at the side of the net, dropped it to his stick and knocked it off Howard’s outstretched pad and just over the goal line.

NOTES: Detroit forwards Dan Cleary (groin) and Patrick Eaves (head) didn’t play after getting hurt Friday. The Red Wings dressed eight defensemen and used extras Derek Meech and Brett Lebda up front. … Filppula also had two assists. … Bertuzzi’s goal was his first in 20 games. … Sedin’s goal was his 20th. Vancouver has six players with at least 20 goals.