Red Wings Slam Predators 5-2

February 10, 1999 / 1:55 AM EST / AP

Brendan Shanahan knew the trade rumors were going to start and that his recent scoring slump didn't help. His only solution? Keep playing hard.

That worked Tuesday night as Shanahan turned in his first multi-point game since Dec. 22. He keyed a four-goal second period with a goal and an assist as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Nashville Predators 5-2.

"I knew with my impending free agency that the talk was going to start at some point regardless of how the season was going," said Shanahan, who turned 30 last month. "To be on my shoulders is fine. I can handle it."

Shanahan now has scored three goals in the past six games after a goal-scoring drought that lasted 15 games. During that stretch, he just kept working.

"As much as I was snakebitten, I didn't want anybody to be able to say I wasn't giving it 100 percent," Shanahan said.

His scoring and the four-goal second period snapped a two-game losing skid for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, who had been 1-3-1 over their previous five. The Red Wings got going by scoring three goals off just nine shots within the first eight minutes of the second period.

Sergei Fedorov started the onslaught, snapping a 1-1 tie with a wrist shot from the left circle 31 seconds into the period. Shanahan set up Kirk Maltby's goal with a pass from behind the net and then scored himself three minutes later off a faceoff with a slap shot from the top of the right circle at 7:57.

"That sort of took the wind out of our sails," said Nashville coach Barry Trotz. "With Detroit, you've got to weather their storm."

Shanahan was named the game's first star. The goal was his 20th this season, giving him 11 straight seasons with at least 20 goals. He now has 383 career goals.

Detroit wasn't finished with the expansion Predators, 0-3-1 over their last four games.

Blair Atcheynum scored his seventh midway through the second, but Nicklas Lidstrom scored after taking a cross-ice pass from Larry Murphy for a 5-2 Detroit lead 13:12 into the period. That was Lidstrom's 400th career point.

Nashville pulled goaltender Mike Dunham after two periods in which he stopped 29 shots, and backup Tomas Vokoun blanked the Red Wings on 16 shots.

Detroit finished with 50 shots on goal and is the only team to do that against the Predators. The Red Wings have gotten off 50 shots three times in their five games against Nashville.

The Red Wings now are 17-0-1 when they score at least four goals.

"Four in one period that's a long time since that happened to us," said Detroit coach Scotty Bowman. "We've had a lot of shots against this team, but we haven't scored."

Igor Larionov put Detroit up 1-0 as he put a wrist shot from the left circle under Dunham's right foot 4:08 into the game.

Nashville tied the game later in the period when Cliff Ronning, who signed two-year contract Sunday, tipped in a pass from Joel Bouchard at 12:39.