Red Wings 5, Ducks 2

WINGS CORNER

Post-Game Interviews Three Questions Photos

DETROIT (AP) -Ty Conklin has played so well as Chris Osgood's backup that the Detroit Red Wings can afford to give the struggling starter some days off to get his game together in time for the playoffs.

Conklin was close to the top of his game Friday night, making 24 saves for his 11th straight home victory, 5-2 over the Anaheim Ducks.

Henrik Zetterberg had a goal and two assists, Pavel Datsyuk added a goal and an assist, and Dan Cleary, Johan Franzen and Kris Draper also scored.

A career backup, Conklin is 21-7-1 with a 2.32 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and six shutouts this season, his first with Stanley Cup champion Detroit after leaving Pittsburgh as a free agent to back up Osgood.

Osgood, the starter in Detroit's 1998 and 2008 Stanley Cup victories and a backup on the Red Wings' 1997 championship team, was a healthy scratch and also will sit out Detroit's game Saturday night in Minnesota.

"I can't concern myself with that," Conklin said. "That's between Chris, the coaching staff and management. I'm behind Chris. He's my teammate."

Osgood is 18-5-7 with a 3.29 GAA and .879 save percentage, the worst among NHL goalies who have played regularly.

"We're trying to be proactive. We're forcing the situation," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We're challenging him to be the goalie he's capable of being and get himself physically and mentally to the top of his game."

Datsyuk and Zetterberg teamed to give Detroit a 3-1 lead.

Datsyuk's power-play goal - his 25th goal - made it 2-1 with 33 seconds left in the first period. Zetterberg set up the goal with a pass from behind the net.

Zetterberg then scored off a pass from Datsyuk, beating Jean-Sebastien Giguere from just inside the left circle on a power-play goal with 8:21 left in the second.

"It was a good game for us. It seemed like the puck was bouncing our way," said Zetterberg, who has 22 goals. "We just have to enjoy this because we'll have some nights when it doesn't all go our way."

Franzen made 4-1 at 1:23 of the third period with his 25th goal.

Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan scored for Anaheim, and Teemu Selanne had two assists. The Ducks have lost three straight to drop to ninth in the Western Conference, a point behind Edmonton for the final playoff spot.

Getzlaf opened the scoring with a power-play goal 52 seconds into the game.

"That's the kind of start we needed," Getzlaf said. "We had other chances to get ourselves back in the game, but we didn't."

At Washington, Ryan Smyth had a goal and two assists, and Andrew Raycroft made 28 saves to help Colorado end Alex Ovechkin's points streak at 10 games.

Colorado won its third straight to give coach Tony Granato his 100th career victory, and also end Washington's winning streak at three.

Adam Foote added a goal and an assist, and Tyler Arnason and Wojtek Wolski also scored for Colorado. Nicklas Backstrom scored for Washington.

At Raleigh, N.C., Joe Corvo scored 5-on-3 goals 39 seconds apart for Carolina, and Jussi Jokinen had the go-ahead goal against his former team.

Eric Staal had a goal and an assist for Carolina, 5-0 against Tampa Bay this season. The Hurricanes are ninth in the Eastern Conference, a point behind Florida and Buffalo. Vaclav Prospal scored for Tampa Bay.