A Detroit Red Wings power play that has struggled at times this season showed signs of life Wednesday night.
Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula scored 1:14 apart late in the third period to break a tie and give Detroit a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Three of Detroit's goals came on the power play, including Datsyuk's winner during a 5-on-3 advantage.
''It's important. We haven't been stellar so far on the power play,'' Henrik Zetterberg said. ''Every goal we can take is good. Hopefully we can keep going.''
Veteran power-play specialist Tomas Holmstrom had two goals with the man advantage, Datsyuk added two assists and Ian White had a goal and two assists for Detroit. Nicklas Lidstrom and Jiri Hudler had two assists apiece and Jimmy Howard made 19 saves.
''Tonight, we were down a bit in the game. We stuck with our game plan,'' said Lidstrom, the Red Wings' captain. ''We kept shooting the puck, cut down on the turnovers and the power play really came through for us tonight.''
Jarome Iginla, Brendan Morrison and Olli Jokinen scored for Calgary. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 25 shots.
''You can't give these guys a two-man power-play with 8 minutes to go,'' Iginla said. ''Up to then it had been a good road game for us.''
With 43 seconds to go in a Flames' power play, defenseman Mark Giordano took a penalty for tripping Detroit's Darren Helm with 8:43 left. Then 33 seconds later Curtis Glencross was called for slashing Zetterberg.
Datsyuk's attempted pass went in off the skate of Flames' defenseman Jay Bouwmeetser with 7:21 left for a 5-on-3 power-play goal and Datsyuk's fifth of the season.
After a slow start, Datsyuk has three goals and seven points in his last three games.
''Obviously some energy and some excitement,'' Red Wings' coach Mike Babcock said. ''When he starts feeling it, suddenly he's better, the team's better, the linemates are better and it's good to be around. He's jumping now and got some excitement in him.''
Filppula scored on a backhand shot from the left circle with 6:07 left for his fourth goal, 3 seconds after Glencross stepped out of the penalty box.
''Three-three with 8 minutes to go. We take some bad penalties,'' Calgary coach Brent Sutter said. ''You do that against a team like that, it's going to kill you.''
Holmstrom and Jokinen traded power-play goals early in the third period.
White tied the game 2-all, 7:38 into the second period when his harmless-looking shot from the top of the right circle got through Kiprusoff. It was White's fourth goal of the season as he returned after missing four games with a broken cheekbone.
Calgary scored on its first two shots of the second period, 2:12 apart to take a 2-1 lead.
Iginla tied it 1-1, 44 seconds into the middle period when he beat Howard from the bottom of the right circle off a 3-on-2 rush. It was Iginla's sixth goal. Morrison's first goal of the season came at 2:56 on a slap shot from the top of the left circle.
Holmstrom's power-play goal opened the scoring 6:14 into the game. He tipped in Lidstrom's shot from out of midair.
Notes: Lidstrom played his 1,514th game, which ties him with former Red Wing and current Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman for 13th all-time and third in team history. . Detroit director of pro scouting Mark Howe and Red Wings' television analyst Mickey Redmond were honored before the game. Howe, the son of Gordie Howe, was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player and Redmond received the 2011 Foster Hewitt Award, the Hall of Fame's recognition of broadcasters. ... Iginla's goal was the 490th of his career, which ties him with former Red Wing Norm Ullman for 44th all-time. . Detroit forward Drew Miller got a puck in the mouth when Giordiano's shot attempt deflected up off Miller's stick and into his face. Miller skated off under his own power as his mouth was bleeding. He took 17 stitches and returned at the beginning of the second period. . The Red Wings sent defenseman Brendan Smith down to Grand Rapids of the AHL and recalled forward Fabian Brunnstrom from there after the game.
