Red Wings boast NHL's best record

DETROIT: The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on the final day of the regular season and earned the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the NHL's best record on Sunday.

Detroit ensured home ice throughout the playoffs and will face Nashville in the first round.

Nicklas Lidstrom scored twice, Jiri Hudler added a goal and an assist and Mark Hartigan also scored for the Red Wings. Dominik Hasek made 26 saves.

Patrick Kane got Chicago's goal and Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 34 shots.

In Philadelphia, Martin Biron stopped 20 shots in his second straight shutout and led Philadelphia to a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh, costing the Penguins the No 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Atlantic Division champion Penguins played without captain Sidney Crosby, likely as a precaution after he missed 28 games with a sprained right ankle.

The Flyers, who clinched a playoff spot on Friday, enter the postseason as the sixth seed and open the playoffs against Washington.

The Penguins play Ottawa in the first round of the playoffs.

In Newark, New Jersey, the home team captured home-ice advantage for their first-round playoff in the closing 65 seconds of regulation with the score at 2 all.

John Madden and Mike Rupp scored for the Devils, while Chris Drury and Jaromir Jagr tallied for the Rangers.

Agencies

(China Daily 04/08/2008 page24)