NHL Capsules: Bertuzzi, Howard lead Wings past Stars 4-1

DETROIT — Todd Bertuzzi knows what he enjoys most about hockey.

"I love to score and when you're not scoring, it's not that fun," Bertuzzi said.

Well, he and his Detroit Red Wings teammates are having fun again.

Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist and Jimmy Howard made 29 saves to lift Detroit to a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday night.

Drew Miller, Darren Helm and Dan Cleary also scored for Detroit, which snapped its home scoreless streak at 116 minutes, 30 seconds. Kris Draper added two assists for the Red Wings, who hadn't scored at home since Nov. 20. The win is the Red Wings' second in a row after losing five of six.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock credited Howard.

"I thought Howard was good all game long," Babcock said. "He did a real good job. That's what he's paid to do."

Brenden Morrow scored for Dallas and Marty Turco stopped 28 shots.

"We found a way to lose the game and not even compete in it," the Stars' Steve Ott said.

Helm gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead 5:35 into the second period when he beat a prone Turco from the bottom of the left circle for his third goal of the season. Cleary's fifth goal made it 3-1 with 7:54 left in the middle period when he put in a bouncing puck from the side of the net.

"I thought we've been playing real well the past five, six games," Helm said. "But the puck's not finding the back of the net."

Bertuzzi got his fourth goal at 3:35 of the third period, beating Turco with a wrist shot from along the right boards at the hashmarks. It was his first goal since Nov. 11, a span of nine games without scoring.

The game was tied at 1 after the first period.

Miller opened the scoring with 6:12 left in the opening period when his attempted pass from alongside the net deflected in off of Dallas' Tom Wandell and Trevor Daley. It was Miller's second goal.

Miller created the play by not allowing Dallas defenseman Karlis Skrastins to touch for an icing.

"Miller made a good play getting up the ice and causing the turnover and getting the goal," Babcock said.

It was the Red Wings' first goal at Joe Louis Arena since Pavel Datsyuk scored in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Nov. 20.

"We've been throwing pucks at their end and tonight the puck went in for us," Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "I think we were having traffic in front of the net, too, but we got some lucky bounces, too."

Morrow tied it for the Stars with 15 seconds left in the first when he tipped in a shot for his 11th goal. It came 3 seconds after a Stars' power play ended.

NOTES: Detroit scored first for the first time in five games. ... Dallas C Brian Sutherby returned after missing seven games with a groin injury. ... Turco has a regular-season record of 1-9-2 at Joe Louis Arena.

Panthers goalie Vokoun injured by teammate's stick

Vokoun had a cut on his ear but was alert when he was placed in an ambulance and taken to a local hospital, a Panthers spokesman said.

"Vakoun is going to be fine," Florida coach Peter DeBoer said after a 4-3 loss to the Thrashers.

"There was no internal ear damage, just a laceration," Panthers general manager Randy Sexton said. Vokoun will meet the team at the airport and fly home with them, he said.

It will be determined Tuesday whether Vakoun will be available for Florida's next game, at home against Colorado on Wednesday, Sexton said.

The injury occurred after Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk scored a goal at 8:54 of the first period, knocking in his own rebound. In apparent frustration, Ballard swung his stick at the net, inadvertently striking Vokoun in the head.

Vokoun was wheeled off the ice after about a 10-minute delay.

Blackhawks home after long 4-1-1 road swing

Hossa and his teammates cooled off a bit in the final two games of a grueling six-game, 11-day road trip. The Blackhawks had an eight-game winning streak halted, shut out by Anaheim and losing in a shootout to Los Angeles.

Even so, the Blackhawks are the buzz of Chicago with the Bulls off to a slow start and the Bears in a nosedive. The Blackhawks are 16-6-3, including 4-1-1 on the road swing, and Hossa has finally made his debut in a city clamoring for a champion.

"We're talking already the Stanley Cup and it's only November," Hossa said in response to a question Monday. "But we are going in the right direction. ...We have to go step-by-step. Use short steps and go from there."

Hossa said he's still learning the offense under coach Joel Quenneville and working himself into game shape after missing training camp, the exhibition season and most of the first two months following shoulder surgery in July.

His linemates for most of his first three games were the young faces and 21-year-old stars of the Blackhawks, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

The trio, pictured together in front of the team's media guide, won't be on the same line Tuesday night when the Blackhawks meet Columbus and open up a stretch in which they play 8 of 10 games at home. Kane was moved to a line with Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg, while Patrick Sharp will team with Toews and Hossa.

It's a move to get the offense going after scoring just one goal against Anaheim and Los Angeles, balance out the lines and allow Kane to go back to his more comfortable right wing spot. And, of course, Quenneville could change it back.

"It was fun while it lasted," said Kane, who had moved to the left side with Hossa on the right. "We had some good shifts."

Hossa had 40 goals last year with the Red Wings, but his arrival came after the Blackhawks dumped Martin Havlat, raising expectations.

Team captain Toews said he was surprised Hossa was so good right after coming back.

"I couldn't have imagined he was going to be playing this well only three games back, when you are out for several months to start the season like that," Toews said.

"We're still feeling each other out that way, just getting to know each other. He's got a long reach and you don't have to give him the perfect pass. He's going to get his stick on the puck and he's got a great shot."

Despite their stretch of winning hockey and the nine points garnered on the road trip, the Blackhawks were quick to point out Monday that their lead in the Central Division is not that large with Nashville, Detroit and Columbus all relatively close.

But home has been a big plus all season. The Blackhawks are 10-2 at the United Center, with a roaring crowd that Hossa remembers as one of the loudest in the NHL, especially last spring when he played against the Blackhawks in the conference finals with Detroit.

Quenneville acknowledged that the first game back home after a long road trip is often a tricky one. If the Blackhawks need an extra push in their first meeting with Columbus this season, it's the opportunity to get Quenneville his 500th career coaching win.

Quenneville, who also has coached the Blues and Avalanche, took over after four games last season when Denis Savard was fired, and led the Blackhawks to the Western Conference finals.

"He's pretty much turned the team around. He's done a lot of good things," Kane said.

Quenneville attributed his victory total in part to simple longevity.

"I've been around for a while. It's been a fun situation to be part of where we're at right now," Quenneville said. "I've been in some real good spots and real good teams. ... I'm just worried about winning the next one. It would be a nice number."

-- Rick Gano

Blue Jackets' Klesla hurt in collision vs. Blues

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Rostislav Klesla was injured in a mid-ice collision with the St. Louis Blues' Barret Jackman on Monday night.