Red Wings 4, Predators 0
DETROIT -- Jimmy Howard made 33 saves for his 12th career shutout, Niklas Kronwall had a goal and two assists and the Detroit Red Wings snapped a five-game winless streak with a 4-0 victory over Central Division-rival Nashville on Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena.
Drew Miller, Tomas Tatar and Danny Cleary also scored for Detroit (8-7-3) and Pavel Datsyuk contributed two assists.
Pekka Rinne stopped 23 shots for Nashville (8-7-6). It was the second loss in two days for the Predators, who fell 1-0 to the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.
Miller opened the scoring 5:11 into the first period when he was able to reach around Rinne and poke in a rebound for his second goal of the season.
Detroit scored twice in the second period for a 3-0 lead.
Tatar's third goal of the season, 2:51 into the second period, made it 2-0. He picked up a loose puck beside the Nashville net and put it under the crossbar.
Kronwall got his second goal of the year with 4:27 remaining in the second period. His one-timer from the high slot fluttered past Rinne.
Cleary added a power-play goal with 8:12 left. He tipped in Kronwall's shot from the point for his third goal of the season.
Howard, who got his first shutout of the season, denied Sergei Kostitsyn from inside the right circle 3:11 into the third period and made several big saves in the first period.
He went across the crease to stop Colin Wilson when the puck came off the backboards about seven minutes into the game and Howard thwarted Matt Halischuk on a breakaway and the rebound with nine minutes left in the first.
NOTES: Detroit right winger Jan Mursak cleared waivers on Saturday and was sent to the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids. ... Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey didn't play because of a sore left ankle. He joined a long list of Detroit regulars out because of injury that includes forwards Johan Franzen (hip flexor), Todd Bertuzzi (back) , Darren Helm (back) and Mikael Samuelsson (broken finger) and fellow defensemen Brendan Smith (shoulder) and Carlo Coliacovo (shoulder). ... Nashville center Paul Gaustad missed his third game with an upper-body injury. ... Predators right winger Brandon Yipp was a healthy scratch. ... After Buffalo's firing of coach Lindy Ruff, Nashville coach Barry Trotz is the longest-tenured NHL coach. He has been behind the Predators' bench since they came into the league for the 1998-99 season.
