Posted by Matt Schwartz

11:28PM - Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The Nashville Predators raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of play Tuesday night en route to coasting to a 4-2 victory over the Red Wings in the Sommet Center. The loss was the fourth-straight for the Red Wings -- the club's longest of the season. The last time Detroit dropped four straight games was in March of last season.

Nashville, with a 7-2-2 record in their previous 11 games heading into the contest, raced out to a quick start on goals by Alexander Radulov (2:25), Martin Erat (3:42) and J.P. Dumont (8:49) that chased goaltender Chris Osgood. Osgood, who stopped just one shot of the four he faced, was regularly hung out to try by his defense.

Jimmy Howard, fresh off his call up from Grand Rapids to spell Dominik Hasek as he rests a nagging hip flexor injury, replaced Osgood after Dumont's goal and stopped all six shots he saw in the first period.

Detroit cut the deficit to 3-1 when Johan Franzen blasted a power-play goal past Chris Mason from the left faceoff circle for his 12th goal of the season.

Nashville regained the three goal cushion at 14:26 of the middle frame as Radulov broke in behind the Detroit defense and slid a backhand shot between Howard's legs for his second goal of the night and a 4-1 Predator lead.

Pavel Datsyuk's rebound goal at 17:41 closed out the scoring.

Detroit outshot the Predators 12-7 in the third period but were unable to get any pucks past Mason, who finished with 40 saves on 42 shots. Howard stopped 18 of 19 in relief of Osgood.

One positive to take out of the game is the resurgence of the Red Wings' dormant power play of late. The Red Wings have now scored four power-play goals in the last two games.

LGW.com's 3 Stars 1. Alexander Radulov (NSH) - 2 Goals 2. Chris Mason (NSH) - 40 Saves 3. J.P. Dumont (NSH) - Goal, Assist Red Wings Lines Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Holmstrom Franzen - Filppula - Samuelsson Hudler - Draper - Kopecky Drake - Ellis - Maltby Lidstrom - Rafalski Lilja - Lebda Meech - Chelios Osgood (Howard)

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