Two Short-Handed Goals By Helm Gives Red Wings 4-2 Win

The best team in the NHL in the decade wrapped it up with a game that could serve as a microcosm of the entire 10-year stretch:

• Two short-handed goals from Darren Helm: his first multi-goal game of his career.
• A goal from Pavel Datsyuk on top of a game in which he lead the non-defensemen in time-on-ice.
• Ville Leino breaks a 20-game scoring drought with the game-winner.
• Solid goaltending by Jimmy Howard, making 20 saves.

It all added up to a 4-2 win by Detroit Red Wings over the Colorado Avalanche, marking the end of a month in which the Red Wings scored a grand total of 28 goals in 14 games, yet finished with a 7-5-2 record.

They overcame two power play goals from Colorado rookie Brandon Yip, playing in just the eighth game of his NHL career.

After a scoreless first period, Todd Bertuzzi was skating up the boards exiting the defensive zone when he passed cross-ice to Datsuyk. Datsuyk brought the puck across both lines, then put a shot from the top of the faceoff circle to the right of Anderson. Using Adam Foote as a screen, he put it into the top shelf past Anderson to make it 1-0. Doug Janik got the other assist on Datsuyk's ninth goal of the season. And the Red Wings broke a 110:12 goal drought.

Later in the second, with Brian Rafalski in the box, Kris Draper dumped the puck out of the defensive zone. Milan Hejduk hesitated, leaving Helm to blow past him. Helm skated in and fired the puck past Anderson for his fourth of the season. It was the third Red Wings short-handed goal of the season.

But 1:17 later, with the man advantage continuing, the Avalanche took advantage of a Howard error in coming too far out. The puck kept rolling past Howard, and while Darcy Tucker overskated it, Yip found it right outside of the net, and quickly swiped it in for his second NHL goal in his eighth game, with Matt Duchene picking up the assist.

In the third, the Avs had the man advantage with Tomas Holmstrom serving a penalty for cross checking. Tucker made a sweet pass towards Yip, who took advantage of Brad Stuart falling over the right pad of Howard to get open and fire the puck past Howard to tie the game. Duchene again got the second assist.

With 3:52 left in the third, Derek Meech fired the puck from the blueline. The puck lifted, then deflected off the raised stick of Leino and went to the back of the net. The play was reviewed for a possible high stick, but it stood, giving Leino his fourth goal of the season and ending a goal-scoring drought going back to November 15 against Columbus.

After a penalty on Valtteri Filppula with 1:59 left in the third, Colorado pulled goaltender Craig Anderson (who had 31 saves). With 22 seconds left, Helm sent the puck down the ice and into the empty net for his second short-handed goal of the night. It was the first time a Red Wing scored two short-handed goals in a game since Kirk Maltby.

Player of the game: Darren Helm. A pair of goals tonight helps him get back on his winning ways.