Posted by Matt Schwartz

12:14AM - Sunday, December 16, 2007

Dan Cleary and Brian Rafalski each scored goals early in the third period to break a 2-2 tie and help lift the Red Wings to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Florida Panthers Saturday night in Joe Louis Arena.

Valtteri Filppula also scored on a penalty shot to register the Red Wings' final goal of the contest. The goal was Filppula's second penalty-shot goal in a week.

The Red Wings took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a 5-on-3 power play when Pavel Datsyuk capped off a series of quick passes with his 13th goal.

The Panthers answered quickly in the 2nd period with two goals that went in off Detroit players. Olli Jokinen scored the first goal off Nicklas Lidstrom just 46 seconds in and Radek Dvorak scored when the rebound of his shot went into the net off defenseman Chris Chelios near the five minute mark.

Detroit tied the game with its second power-play goal when Johan Franzen slammed home a rebound at 8:58.

Cleary broke the 2-2 deadlock 5:40 into the third when he backhanded a rebound between the pads of Tomas Vokoun for his 10th goal of the year. Rafalski increased the lead to 4-2 just over a minute later when his high point shot found the back of the net for another Red Wing power-play goal.

Detroit finished 3-for-6 on the power play while holding Florida to 0-for-3.

For the first time in franchise history, the Red Wings had two penalty-shot attempts in one game: Prior to Filppula's penalty shot attempt, Datsyuk failed on his attempt earlier in the third period when Vokoun made the save with thet toe of his right pad.

Chris Osgood started for the Red Wings and made 33 saves. Vokoun turned aside 41 of a season-high 46 shots by Detroit.

LGW.com's 3 Stars 1. Pavel Datsyuk (DET) - Goal, Assist, 5 SOG 2. Brian Rafalski (DET) - Goal, Assist, 5 SOG 3. Tomas Vokoun (FLA) - 41 Saves Red Wings Lines Datsyuk - Zetterberg - Cleary Hudler - Filppula - Samuelsson Kopecky - Franzen - Drake Ellis - Hartigan - Downey Lidstrom - Rafalski Lilja - Kronwall Lebda - Meech Osgood (Hasek)

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