Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Henrik Zetterberg scored the game-winning goal 6:54 into the third period and added an empty-netter in the final minute, as the Detroit Red Wings opened their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series against Nashville with a 3-1 win at Joe Louis Arena.

Dominik Hasek made 19 saves, and Johan Franzen also scored for top-seeded Detroit, which won the Presidents' Trophy as the best team in the regular season and once again began the playoffs with heavy expectations to win the Stanley Cup. Zetterberg was Detroit's leading goal scorer in 2007-08 and he resumed his strong play in this postseason opener.

Jordin Tootoo scored for Nashville, which is competing in the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Dan Ellis allowed two goals on 39 shots in the loss for the Predators, who will attempt to even the series here on Saturday afternoon.

"We all understand that we have to take it one game at a time," said Tootoo. "We know we can play with them, but we just have to worry about ourselves and put this one behind us. You have to win four games out of seven. This is only Game 1, so we have to refresh ourselves."

With the score tied 1-1 in the third period, Nashville nearly moved ahead with 14:50 remaining in regulation when Vernon Fiddler hit the post on a 2-on-1, but soon after it was the Red Wings who grabbed the lead.

Zetterberg alertly blocked Shea Weber's clearing attempt above the left circle near the blue line and the puck remained in the Detroit offensive zone. Pavel Datsyuk capitalized on the turnover, gained control along the left half-wall and centered the puck for Zetterberg, whose laser one-timer from the slot flew past Ellis at the 6:54 mark.

"I was pretty certain that I was going to get the puck, so I just tried to be ready for it, aimed and shot," said Zetterberg.

The Predators mustered only three shots on goal during the entire third period and Detroit's defense corps combined with strong forechecking by the Wings forwards kept the puck away from danger. The visitors had one power play in the final stanza, but did not register a shot on goal.

"I thought we played real well defensively," said Detroit's Nick Lidstrom. "We tried to keep them on the outside and we were able to do that. We got the puck out a lot quicker out of our own end in the third period -- that really helped us."

Zetterberg's wrister into the empty net at 19:41 capped the scoring.

These two teams met once before in the postseason -- a Detroit six-game series win in the opening round in 2004.

Franzen opened the scoring near the six-minute mark of the first period on a tally assisted by Jiri Hudler and Niklas Kronwall.

Detroit clogged the neutral zone and used heavy back-checking to annoy the Nashville forwards during most of the second period, which saw a total of 23 shots -- only six for the Predators. But the sparse scoring chances that Nashville did manage to produce nearly lit the lamp. With 7:30 to go in the period, J.P. Dumont had a stuffer chance at the right post but Hasek's stick was quicker.

Less than two minutes after Ellis made a pad save on a breakaway opportunity by Datsyuk, a backhander by Nashville blueliner Greg de Vries from the lower right circle near the 17-minute mark sailed inches wide.

The Preds finally solved Hasek late in the second. Greg Zanon kept the puck inside the blue line at the left point and fired a slap shot toward the net that Tootoo deflected from the lower left slot along the inner rim of the circle. The disc then deflected off the stick of Hasek and rolled over the goal line with 2:13 to play before the second intermission.