Red Wings End Blues’ Streak

Pavel Datsyuk came to the Detroit Red Wings’ rescue again.

Ray Whitney’s tiebreaking goal with 5:15 remaining lifted Detroit to a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Monday night at Detroit, snapping the Blues’ nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2).

The Red Wings are 6-1-1 in their last eight games against the Blues, who have lost only two games -- both to Detroit -- in their last 14 (9-2-3).

Datsyuk scored the other Detroit goal and assisted on Whitney’s winner. Curtis Joseph made 24 saves, including several during a flurry in the final minute.

“If you’re the team up, you hope so,” Joseph said when asked if the Red Wings were in the heads of St. Louis’ players. “And if you’re the team that’s down, you hope not.”

Dallas Drake scored the Blues’ goal, and Chris Osgood made 22 saves.

After Datsyuk forced Alexander Khavanov into turning the puck over to Brett Hull -- the puck finally glanced off Datsyuk’s skate to Hull -- behind the St. Louis net, Hull found Whitney in front. Whitney then put a shot past Chris Osgood.

Datsyuk has scored or assisted on nine of the Red Wings’ 17 goals the last six games.

St. Louis broke a scoreless tie 8:52 into the second period on Drake’s power-play goal. His shot from the bottom of the left circle beat Joseph, who was sprawling.

Ottawa 3, Florida 2 -- Todd White scored at 1:34 of overtime to lead the Senators at Ottawa.

Rookie Antoine Vermette and Martin Havlat also scored for Ottawa.

Martin Prusek, who shut out the Panthers on Dec. 3, made 19 saves for the Senators.

Ottawa won its third straight game and has lost only once in six games.

Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 1 -- Saku Koivu and Sheldon Souray had a goal and an assist apiece, and Jose Theodore made 16 saves at Montreal.

Pierre Dagenais and Niklas Sundstrom also scored for Montreal, which has just four losses in its last 15 games (8-4-3).

New York Rangers 4, Boston 2 -- Bobby Holik and Petr Nedved each scored twice to lift the Rangers at New York.

Holik’s empty-net goal at 19:14 of the third period sealed the victory. Just before, Mike Dunham made a lunging toe stop to deny Patrice Bergeron’s attempt at the tying goal. Bergeron fired at a seemingly open net from the slot.

Boston has just one win in 10 games (1-5-4) and two in the last 15 games (2-7-5-1).

Dallas 3, Carolina 1 -- Jere Lehtinen had two goals and an assist to lead the Stars at Raleigh, N.C.

After a scoreless first period, Lehtinen gave the Stars the lead 2:25 into the second. Dallas nearly scored again, but Stars forward Jason Arnott knocked the net off and wiped out Pierre Turgeon’s goal.

Carolina answered with five seconds left in the second period when Jeff O’Neill tied it.

Nashville 3, Phoenix 3 -- Shane Doan scored the tying goal in the third period and had two assists as Phoenix salvaged a tie at Nashville.

Doan, who has 10 points in seven games, made it 3-3 with his 14th of the season at 8:40 of the third.