NEW LEAGUE, SAME DONALD
DETROIT (AP) -- Manny Legace made 29 saves and Kris Draper and Donald MacLean scored goals to help the Detroit Red Wings clinch the best record in the NHL with a 2-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Red Wings, with 118 points, will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
That didn't give Detroit much of an edge, however, during the NHL's previous season when the Red Wings were knocked out early in the playoffs by Calgary. It did lead to the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup in 2002.
Edmonton is eighth in the Western Conference standings -- two points ahead of idle Vancouver -- for the final playoff spot.
Dwayne Roloson made 25 saves for the Oilers.
Legace has seven shutouts this season and 13 in his career. He made some spectacular stops, including a kick save just before the second period ended. Edmonton challenged him often in the final period, but couldn't get a shot past Legace, who has emerged as Detroit's No. 1 goalie ahead of Chris Osgood.
MacLean scored on a rebound midway through the first period in his first game with the Red Wings this season, and 30th NHL game of his career. He played in place of Robert Lang, who was out with an upper-body injury.
Draper scored on a wrist shot from the right circle early in the third period.
Game Notes
Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk (lower body) missed his third straight game and Mathieu Schneider (groin) was out for a sixth game in a row.
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Red Wings, with 118 points, will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
That didn't give Detroit much of an edge, however, during the NHL's previous season when the Red Wings were knocked out early in the playoffs by Calgary. It did lead to the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup in 2002.
Edmonton is eighth in the Western Conference standings -- two points ahead of idle Vancouver -- for the final playoff spot.
Dwayne Roloson made 25 saves for the Oilers.
Legace has seven shutouts this season and 13 in his career. He made some spectacular stops, including a kick save just before the second period ended. Edmonton challenged him often in the final period, but couldn't get a shot past Legace, who has emerged as Detroit's No. 1 goalie ahead of Chris Osgood.
MacLean scored on a rebound midway through the first period in his first game with the Red Wings this season, and 30th NHL game of his career. He played in place of Robert Lang, who was out with an upper-body injury.
Draper scored on a wrist shot from the right circle early in the third period.
Game Notes
Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk (lower body) missed his third straight game and Mathieu Schneider (groin) was out for a sixth game in a row.