Blackhawks Sneak Past Red Wings in OT

Friday, March 31st 2006, 10:20 pm

By: News On 6

DETROIT (AP) _ The Chicago Blackhawks, well out of the playoff picture, considered beating the Detroit Red Wings as a learning experience. Patrick Sharp scored 1:29 into overtime, lifting Chicago to a 3-2 victory over Detroit on Friday night.

``This was a big game for us,'' said captain Martin Lapointe, a former Red Wing. ``We have such a young team. To beat the Red Wings is something we can build on.''

Mark Cullen and Lapointe scored for Chicago in regulation, and Nikolai Khabibulin made 39 saves.

It was the Blackhawks' second overtime win in two nights. They beat St. Louis 3-2 on Thursday night.

Steve Yzerman and Pavel Datsyuk had Detroit's goals, and Chris Osgood stopped 31 shots. The Red Wings also played Thursday night, winning 4-2 at Nashville.

``It was positive that we found a way to get a point,'' Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. ``I didn't think we had a whole lot of energy. It didn't look like we had a lot of jump.''

Yzerman's goal was his 691st, breaking a tie with Mario Lemieux for sole possession of eighth place on the NHL's all-time list. Yzerman is only three behind seventh-place Mark Messier.

The Detroit captain also stretched his scoring streak to seven games, in which he has four goals and five assists.

``He doesn't really talk about his accomplishments too much,'' Osgood said about Yzerman, who didn't speak to reporters after the game. ``He seems to be getting better and better for the playoffs.''

Sharp beat Osgood with a backhander while cutting across the slot after beating Nicklas Lidstrom and cutting in off right wing.

``It was bad ice and the puck was bouncing a little bit,'' Sharp said. ``I had to slow down and try to hang onto it and just cut to the middle as quick as I could.''

It was Sharp's 11th goal.

The fact that he beat Lidstrom, a three-time Norris Trophy winner and a leading candidate to win his fourth this season, wasn't lost on Chicago coach Trent Yawney.

``Even the best in the business gets beat once in a while,'' he said.

With Osgood pulled for the extra attacker, Datsyuk put a loose puck under the crossbar from just off the crease with 45 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 2 with his 28th goal.

Lapointe beat Osgood with a one-timer from the top of the left circle after taking a pass from Dustin Byfuglien on a 3-on-1 rush to give Chicago a 2-1 lead with 5:29 left in regulation.

Yzerman's opened the scoring on Detroit's first shot of the game, when he scored his 13th of the season on a one-timer from the slot off a pass from Jason Williams.

Cullen tied it with 3:44 left in the second period, when he tapped Kyle Calder's pass into the empty side of the net.

Notes: Detroit D Mathieu Schneider (lower body injury) and RW Dan Cleary (upper body) missed the game. ... Chicago D James Wisniewski was hit in the mouth by a shot from Brendan Shanahan and in the face by a clearing attempt by Chris Chelios during the second period. Wisniewski is a native of the Detroit suburb of Canton and played junior hockey with the suburban-Detroit based Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League. ... Friday was former Red Wings great and Hall of Famer Gordie Howe's 78th birthday. ... Former Detroit Lions coach Steve Mariucci attended the game.