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Red Wings Outdo Blue Jackets, 1-0
Mon Dec 23, 9:57 PM ET
By RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Curtis Joseph (news) stopped 33 shots, and Kris Draper (news) scored on a rebound with 4:27 remaining as the Detroit Red Wings (news) beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0 Monday night.
The shutout was Joseph's third this season and the 39th of his career.
Brendan Shanahan (news) dug the puck out from the left boards and flipped a wrist shot at Columbus goaltender Marc Denis (news) to set up the goal. Denis, who had 27 saves, blocked the shot but the rebound bounced directly to Draper at the left edge of the crease where he jammed it in for his fourth goal.
Shanahan extended his points streak to six games. The Red Wings are unbeaten in their last five (3-0-2).
After Draper's goal, the Red Wings played keep-away with the puck for much of the next four minutes until Draper was called for obstruction holding with 32.8 seconds left. The Blue Jackets called timeout and pulled Denis to gain a 6-on-4 advantage but they were able to muster only one shot, Joseph turning away Ray Whitney (news)'s shot in the final seconds.
Joseph had missed the last two games and most of a third since looking shaky in a 6-4 win over Columbus nine days ago. He gave up two goals on 11 shots in his next game and was yanked, with backup Manny Legace (news) in goal the next two games.
Despite a scoreless first two periods, there was plenty of action.
Columbus defenseman Duvie Westcott and Detroit's Sean Avery twice tangled in lengthy fights.
In the final seconds of the second period, Columbus' Ray Whitney's shot was wide Curtis Joseph was out of position and Whitney faced an open net as the buzzer sounded.
Avery was stopped during a flurry on Blue Jackets' goalie Marc Denis. He stopped one shot and the puck glanced off defenseman Derrick Walser as Denis lost his stick. Avery's shot slid across the ice in the crease, but Denis was able to lunge and push it out with his blocker.
Notes:@ Columbus' Andrew Cassels (news), tied for the team lead with 33 points, sustained a hyperextended right elbow in the second period and did not return. ... The Wings are 7-5-3 on the road this season. ... The Blue Jackets dropped to 9-6-1-1 at Nationwide Arena.
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