Red Wings: Notebook

Todd Bertuzzi's size pays off against Capitals

Dana Wakiji / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Consider the Washington Capitals' top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin. Ovechkin is listed at 6-foot-2, 233 pounds, Backstrom at 6-1, 210, and Semin at 6-2, 208.

Wings coach Mike Babcock played Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi against them in Saturday's 3-2 victory at Joe Louis Arena. Zetterberg is listed at 5-11, 195, Datsyuk at 5-11, 194 and Bertuzzi at 6-3, 225.

Bertuzzi is the only one who can really match up with that line on a size basis, which Babcock thought he did well.

"I thought that's as good a game as I've seen Bert play in a number of years," Babcock said. "I thought Bert was excellent, he helped those guys. He was big and he skated well. That was real important for us."

Bertuzzi said switching from a line with Zetterberg and Danny Cleary to one with Datsyuk at center was a little different.

"I have to change, I've got to adjust, I've got to drive the net, stay in front of the net, create some space for them, make sure defensively you're responsible," Bertuzzi said. "The way they play, it's just a matter of time before we get a handful (of goals)."

Datsyuk is so clever with the puck that Bertuzzi knows he has to be ready to receive it at any time.

"He's just one of those gifted players," Bertuzzi said. "When you don't think you're going to get it, you end up getting it so you've got to be aware at all times and that's what I tried to do, just tried to drive the net and open up space for them and try to look for rebounds."

Bertuzzi did not figure in the scoring Saturday, but had two shots, two blocked shots and a hit in 14:58.

Desperate team?

Osgood called Saturday's victory the Wings' "best game by far this year."

He said it was just the kind of game the Wings needed after losing Johan Franzen for at least four months because of a torn ACL in his left knee.

"I think we were real desperate," Osgood said. "You don't want to say it because you don't want to make yourself seem too uptight when you're 0-2 but definitely inside, guys felt it, that we had to start playing better than we did in Sweden. We definitely did. We played desperate hockey."

The Wings allowed the high-flying Capitals 24 shots, just four in the third period.

"Our first game of the season and this game has been what we're looking for, around 23 shots against and not too many opportunities," Babcock said. "If you play like that, you give yourself a chance. I thought we were better defensively."

Day of rest

Babcock gave the team Sunday off. It practices today.

"It's good to get a couple days off, you get a couple good practices in," Nick Lidstrom said. "We still need to work on some details in our game. It will give us some breathing room here with the second win at home."

The Wings play at Buffalo Tuesday before returning home to play the Kings Thursday and the Avs Saturday.

May is 24 again

Brad May is now wearing No. 24 with the blessing of the Wings' previous 24, Chris Chelios .

dwakiji@detnews.com

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