Reuters
Published 00:00 10 February 2012
The home team got a first-period score from Johan Franzen
Detroit: Detroit earned their 18th successive home win with a tougher-than-expected 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday to close in on the NHL record for consecutive wins on home ice.
Detroit squandered a 2-0 lead when Oilers' Sam Gagner scored in the second and third periods to tie the game.
But Drew Miller and Henrik Zetterberg answered with goals in the third to help the West-leading Red Wings finish off the Oilers (21-28-5), who are second to last in the conference.
The victory moves Detroit (36-17-2) within two wins at Joe Louis Arena from reaching the league mark set by the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and matched by Philadelphia in 1976.
"The home win streak is really unique," Miller told reporters. "I don't think we go into it really trying to say, ‘Hey, let's do it to get this streak.'
"I think we're just trying to establish our game at home and play night in and night out the way that we should play."
Goaltender Joey MacDonald started in net for the second consecutive game in place of the injured Jimmy Howard and needed just 15 saves for the Red Wings.
The home team got a first-period score from Johan Franzen and Cory Emmerton netted in the second to establish the early 2-0 lead. Gagner to made it interesting with his eighth goal in the last four contests.