"The Red Wings had much to celebrate Friday night: A record-tying night for their captain, a thousand games for their elite net-front guy, a 19th straight victory at home.

They downed the Ducks, 2-1, in a shoot-out at Joe Louis Arena, claiming the victory in the third round on the usually reliable Todd Bertuzzi. Joey MacDonald staked a strong claim on the backup goaltending position with 29 saves through overtime, 13 in the third period.

The heroes of the game, though, were Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom. Holmstrom became the sixth player in franchise history to reach 1,000 games, the 272nd in NHL history. Lidstrom tied Alex Delvecchio for second-most games played in a Wings uniform with 1,549.

Even the opposing coach lauded Holmstrom's milestone.

"Just playing 1,000 games is quite an accomplishment," Bruce Boudreau said. "Standing in front of the pucks, in front of the net, it takes a lot of courage to do what he's done. Hats off to him."

Boudreau drew comparisons between Lidstrom and his fellow 41-year-old with Anaheim, Teemu Selanne, the only Duck to score in the shoot-out. "I'd like to know the water they drink. They must keep themselves in incredible shape. Their lifestyle must be great. If Nick is anything like Teemu, the passion for the game has got to be up there with anybody's.""