FanHouse DanielCleary

After some late-game fisticuffs on Tuesday, the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks are set to take part in a one-and-done Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena, in a contest that has to be more entertaining -- from a competitive standpoint -- than what we saw on Wednesday in Washington. Depending on who you ask, the line brawl in the closing minutes of Game 6 could be a rallying cry for the Red Wings.

---

---

The Detroit Red Wings continued to keep their Stanley Cup core together on Saturday with news that the team has agreed to a contract extension with forward Johan Franzen, as reported by TSN. According to the Red Wings, it's an 11-year deal that will keep Franzen in the motor city through the 2019-20 season.

Flames 6, Red Wings 5: After the first period of Thursday's game, the Detroit Red Wings held a ridiculous, and somewhat dominating 28-4 edge over the Calgary Flames in the shot department, thanks in large part to a series of five-on-three power plays. Somehow, the Flames managed to keep themselves in the game and rally for a 6-5 shootout win, thanks to a three-goal performance late in the third period.

Trailing, 4-2, with less than four minutes to play in regulation, Calgary received goals from Jamie Lundmark (two) and Olli Jokinen to take a 5-4 lead. Just 38 seconds after Lundmark gave the Flames their first lead of the night, Detroit's Daniel Clearly picked up his 13th goal of the season, sending the game to overtime. Jokinen scored the game-winner in the shootout, helping Calgary snap its three-game losing streak.

Brian Burke's acquisition of tough-guy Brad May helped add to some of the intensity and entertainment value in Thursday's Montreal-Toronto game, as the two teams beat the snot out of one other physically, while the Canadiens dominated on the scoreboard, pulling out a 6-2 win. The victory for Montreal is its third in a row, and eighth in its past 10 games.

We've already talked about the penalties and wrestling matches between Mikhail Grabovski and a linesman, so let's talk about the game itself. The Canadiens jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first period, thanks to goals from Sergei Kostitsyn, Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse. Jaroslav Halak, making his fourth straight start in goal for Montreal, turned aside 30 shots to pick up his eighth win of the season.

Bruins 6, Senators 4: Boston snapped a brief two-game losing skid on Thursday night with a 6-4 win over Ottawa. The Bruins let a 3-1 lead slip away late in the second period, and then scored three consecutive goals of their own in the third, as Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber had a rather forgettable start in goal, stopping only 16 of 21 shots. Marc Savard scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, while also adding two assists.

Bizarre game in Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, as the Capitals fired 48 shots at Flyers goaltender Antero Niittymaki -- including 25 in the first period -- only to get their lunches handed to them on the scoreboard in the form of a 7-1 dismantling at the hands of Philadelphia.

The Capitals went into the third period with a 39-13 edge in the shots department, yet trailed on the scoreboard 3-0. Perhaps their spirit was crushed, or something, because they allowed the Flyers to strike four more times in the final frame.

Scott Hartnell recorded a hat trick for Philadelphia in the win, which was its sixth victory in the past seven games. Jeff Carter added two goals, giving him 24 on the season, while Simon Gagne and Joffrey Lupul also joined in the goal-scoring fun, tormenting the Washington goaltending duo of Brent Johnson and Jose Theodore.

Brooks Laich scored the only goal for Washington, as Niittymaki made 47 saves for the Flyers.