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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Not even Detroit coach Scotty Bowman has a
definitive answer as to why the Red Wings seem to play better with
Manny Legace in the net.
Bowman doesn't really care, either. Not as long as Legace, and
the Red Wings, keep winning.
Legace, sidelined the previous two games by a sprained knee,
made 26 saves as the Red Wings beat the Florida Panthers 3-1 on
Friday night.
Legace was sharp, especially in the third period. He stopped a
1-on-1 opportunity against Pavel Bure, denied Peter Worrell from
the crease and snuffed Rob Niedermayer's one-timer from point-blank
range to help Detroit win for the fourth time in five games.
Legace, who was claimed off waivers from Vancouver last season,
improved to 8-1-1 in his last 10 games and 10-2-1 overall.
"I guess since the guys don't know him that well, they play
better in front of him," Bowman said.
Nicklas Lidstrom's slap shot from outside the left circle with
59 seconds remaining sealed the win for the Red Wings. The
Panthers, who have scored just five goals in the last four games,
lost for the third time in four games.
"I'm sick and tired of coming up here and talking ... about
losing," Murray said as he began his postgame news conference.
"I'm running out of explanations," Florida goaltender Trevor
Kidd said.
With Legace back in the net, Detroit looked like it might
dominate the game early. The Red Wings scored twice in the first
period, but Bure netted his 14th goal of the season at the start of
the second to cut the deficit in half and give Florida hope for its
third home win.
But despite playing better defense in the second and third
periods, Florida failed to beat Legace.
"It's very frustrating. We want to start putting some good runs
together and start to get on a roll," Niedermayer said. "We just
can't seem to get it done right now."
Sergei Fedorov gave Detroit a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal.
Fedorov's 14th goal, a slap shot from the right circle, beat Trevor
Kidd -- who was screened by Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom.
Vyacheslav Kozlov made it 2-0 at the 13-minute mark, scoring off
a Florida turnover.
Ray Whitney lost the puck in the neutral zone, and Pat Verbeek
found a wide-open Kris Draper skating the other way. After kicking
the puck from skate to skate, Draper dropped it to Kozlov, whose
tight-angled shot from the left side flew over a sprawled-out Kidd,
under Olli Jokinen's stick and into the top corner of the net.
Starting the second period with a man advantage, Florida got on
the board when the Russian Rocket tipped Robert Svehla's shot from
the right circle.
"We've been playing unbelievable defense," said Legace, who
stopped all 10 shots in the third period. "We didn't give them
much in the first two periods. Had Bure not gotten his stick on
that one, it was going right into my glove. Hopefully, we'll carry
it on."
The Panthers outshot Detroit 27-23.
"We had so many chances, but the puck didn't go in," Bure
said.
Game notes
Panthers center Igor Larionov, facing his old teammates for
the first time since being traded to Florida in July, left the ice
midway through the second period with a lower right leg bruise. He
did not return. ... Florida's Greg Adams sprained his left knee. He
will not travel with the team Saturday. ... The Red Wings improved
to 4-0-3 in the last seven games against Florida. The Panthers'
last win against Detroit was Dec. 1, 1996. ... Red Wings center
Steve Yzerman has played just two games this season because of a
knee injury. He is expected to return to the lineup Saturday
against Tampa Bay. Yzerman had surgery Oct. 16.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Florida Clubhouse
RECAPS
Pittsburgh 6
Buffalo 4
Washington 3
Boston 2
Atlanta 5
Tampa Bay 3
NY Islanders 0
New Jersey 0
Detroit 3
Florida 1
Chicago 2
Nashville 1
Colorado 4
Dallas 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Nicklaus Lidstrom puts the game away with a goal in the last minute.
avi: 949 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Pavel Bure gets a stick on Robert Svehla's shot for a goal past Manny Legace.
avi: 962 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Vyacheslav Kozlov gets Trevor Kidd to bite as he goes top shelf.
avi: 1442 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Sergei Fedorov starts the scoring by firing the shot past Trevor Kidd.
avi: 802 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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