Quick Starts
The Detroit Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg was riding a lengthy point streak before being sidelined for the final seven weeks of the 2006-07 regular season. He’s quickly picked up where he left off.
Zetterberg will try to continue his early season scoring binge when the Red Wings welcome the unbeaten Edmonton Oilers to Joe Louis Arena on Monday.
After notching a goal and an assist in a season-opening 3-2 shootout win over defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim on Wednesday, Zetterberg followed with three assists in regulation on Saturday against Chicago. He failed to score in the shootout, though, and the Red Wings fell 4-3.
"We got away from our game a little in the third period," said Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who had a goal and an assist, as did newcomer Brian Rafalski.
Detroit dropped to 37-1-2 since the end of the lockout when Zetterberg has a multipoint game.
Zetterberg led the Red Wings (1-0-1) with 33 goals and was second with 68 points in only 63 games last season. He had nine goals and nine assists during a seven-game point streak from Feb. 11-24, but missed the final 19 games due to back spasms. Zetterberg returned for the postseason and was third on the club in scoring with six goals and eight assists.
He has points in three straight games against Edmonton (2-0-0), totaling two goals and an assist.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Detroit -240 money line favorites (NHL Odds) for today’s game, the over/under has been set at 5.5 goals (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 63% of bets for this game have been placed on Detroit -240 (View NHL Bet Percentages).
Edmonton remained perfect after beating Philadelphia 5-3 on Saturday, as former Flyers Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson scored third-period goals.
"Geoff really played well and so did Joni," Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray said. "Especially Joni, being a young guy coming from another organization and only being in his second game here. He really put a good game in."
Kyle Brodziak, who scored in the Oilers’ 3-2 shootout win over San Jose on Thursday, had two assists and Dustin Penner also scored against Philadelphia.
Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said it was good to see Penner, a controversial free agent signing from the Ducks, get his first of the season.
"It’s important when you come to a new team under some fanfare to have some success early and I was happy for that," MacTavish said of Penner, who failed to record a point in six games for Anaheim against Detroit in the second round of last season’s playoffs.
Mathieu Garon made 22 saves Saturday in his Edmonton debut, but Dwayne Roloson should be back in net for this contest. He’s 3-5-0 with a tie in nine career regular-season starts in Detroit, and also spearheaded the Oilers’ first-round upset of the Red Wings in the 2005-06 playoffs.
The Oilers were 2-1-1 against the Red Wings last season, winning the final two contests in shootouts.
Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios will play in his 1,550th game Monday to move past former Detroit star Alex Delvecchio for eighth place all-time. Chelios, 45, is beginning his 24th NHL season and could later pass Ray Bourque and Larry Murphy on the list.
by: Gary Roberts – theSpread.com – Email Us
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