AP News, January 3rd, 2008
Dan Cleary had a goal and an assist to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the Western Conference.
Johan Franzen, Dallas Drake and Pavel Datsyuk also scored for NHL-leading Detroit. Henrik Zetterberg had two assists in his first game back after missing five games with a sore back and Nicklas Lidstrom also assisted on two goals. Chris Osgood made 23 saves.
Loui Eriksson got Dallas' goal and Marty Turco, who is 1-9-5 against the Red Wings, stopped 22 shots.
Cleary opened the scoring with 7:59 left in the first period. After his original shot had been blocked before it got to the net, Cleary picked up the loose puck and beat Turco from the left circle with a wrist shot for his 13th goal.
Franzen scored on a breakaway 7:28 into the second period. He put a move on Turco and put in a backhand shot. It was Franzen's seventh goal.
Drake scored his first goal of the season, 4:32 into the third period, when beat Turco on a one-timer from the bottom edge of the right circle.
Datsyuk added his 16th goal with 6:47 remaining.
Eriksson spoiled Osgood's shutout bid with 6:11 left with his third goal.
Notes:@ Dallas D Sergei Zubov didn't play because of an undisclosed upper body injury. ... Detroit RW Tomas Holmstrom missed the game because of a knee injury. ... Dallas C Mike Modano, a native of the Detroit suburb of Livonia, was honored before the game for becoming the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history earlier this season. He played for the Little Caesars youth hockey organization as a youngster. Red Wings' owner Mike Ilitch owns the Little Caesars pizza chain. Modano was presented with a framed Little Caesars jersey with his name and number. ... Stars' RW Chris Conner is a native of the Detroit suburb Westland.
