DETROIT – Henrik Zetterberg had his best game since the Detroit Red Wings came off consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup finals.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock isn’t ready to say Zetterberg can make the rebuilding team a championship contender just yet, but he said it’s too early to count out the Red Wings because of Zetterberg and fellow star Pavel Datsyuk.

Zetterberg matched a career high with five points – including three goals. He then set up Datsyuk’s tiebreaking goal after David Backes was called for a match penalty at 9:38 of third period to help Detroit beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3 on Friday night.

“I hear a lot about the things we don’t have, but I don’t know how many teams have Pav and Z,” Babcock said. “And, that’s a pretty good starting point for me.

“We’re not going away here.”

LIGHTNING 8, JETS 3: In Tampa, Fla, Cory Conacher had two goals and an assist to lead Tampa Bay, which has scored five or more goals in four straight games.

CAPITALS 3, FLYERS 2: In Washington, Troy Brouwer and Wojtek Wolksi scored third-period goals, and Braden Holtby made 29 saves as Washington snapped a two-game losing streak.

HURRICANES 1, SENATORS 0: In Raleigh, N.C., Dan Ellis made 33 saves for his first shutout in more than two years and Eric Staal, 9-0-1 in its last 10 home games against Ottawa.

STARS 4, COYOTES 3, SO: In Dallas, Jaromir Jagr and Jamie Benn scored in a shootout to lift Dallas. Phoenix trailed 2-0 and 3-2 before getting even in the third period. Radim Vrbata had the only goal for the Coyotes in the shootout.

NOTES: The NHL is hopeful it can still sell the Phoenix franchise even though prospective owner Greg Jamison missed a deadline with the city of Glendale. … Boston forward Shawn Thornton is expected to miss seven to 10 days with a concussion.