NASHVILLE, TN (AP) -- Niklas Kronwall, in his first career shootout try, scored the winning goal in the 11th round to give the Detroit Red Wings a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Jimmy Howard stopped nine of Nashville's 10 shootout attempts to make Kronwall's goal stand up as the winner.
Detroit has won five straight and eight of nine to move into a more solid playoff position.
The Red Wings jumped out of eighth place in the tightly packed Western Conference race.
Nashville lost for just the second time in nine games.
The fifth-place Predators are only one point ahead of the surging Red Wings.
Both teams were helped earlier Saturday when ninth-place Calgary lost at Boston.
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