Lidstrom, Wings too much for Blues

12/16/2010

DETROIT -- Star defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom had three goals and an assist for his first career hat trick to lift the Detroit Red Wings over the St. Louis Blues 5-2 Wednesday night.

Danny Cleary added a goal and two assists, Niklas Kronwall scored, Henrik Zetterberg had four assists, and Jimmy Howard made 19 saves for Detroit.

Carlo Colaiacovo and Brad Winchester scored for St. Louis. Jaroslav Halak stopped 32 shots.

Detroit scored twice in the final 3:53 of the second period to take a 3-1 lead.

Kronwall got his seventh goal on a shot from the top inside edge of the left circle, and Cleary poked in a rebound for a power-play goal and his 14th of the season with 2:22 left.

Lidstrom added his second goal on a power play 2:46 into the third period, beating Halak with a slap shot from the point. Winchester's power-play goal 6:42 into the third period closed the deficit to two. He tipped in Alexander Steen's shot from the point.

Lidstrom completed his hat trick with an empty-netter in the final minute for his seventh of the season.

Lidstrom opened the scoring 4:02 into the second period when Halak couldn't handle his knuckling shot from the top of the left circle. Colaiacovo tied it 1:18 later on a backhander.

NOTE: Detroit LW Drew Miller was a healthy scratch. ... St. Louis D Erik Johnson left the game after getting tangled up with the Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk in the first period. The Blues were already without forwards T.J. Oshie (broken ankle), David Perron (concussion symptoms), and Andy McDonald (concussion) and defensemen Roman Polak (wrist laceration) and Alex Pietrangelo (upper-body injury). ... Blues C Vladimor Sobotka was helped to the locker room after taking Darren Helm's shot off his leg.