DETROIT — It was only been one game, but the Detroit Red Wings didn't look like a paper tiger Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

The Presidents' Trophy winners get full marks for their effort in the series opener, though they did have to survive a stretch of squeezing their collective sticks when the game was tied despite having the ice severely tilted in their favour.

We're not about to suggest a sweep is in the offing, but goalie Dan Ellis was the only reason the 3-1 game (including an empty-netter) was close.

Having said that, without a pair of turnovers (one by Marek Zidlicky and the other by Shea Weber, which took a crazy bounce off the arm of a linesman and landed back into the defensive zone) the Predators were in position to steal Game 1.

"They just keep coming at you, so we have to limit our turnovers, limit the chances we give them and give ourselves a better chance to win," said Ellis. "You're going to have your turnovers because they clog up the neutral zone as good as any team. They don't give you very much."

Ellis was outstanding, making 37 saves in his first Stanley Cup playoff start.

Even Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock was impressed by Ellis' play, but praised his club for making life difficult on the netmider.

"All goalies are good when they have no traffic and no second chances," said Babcock. "They get a little more human when they is more traffic and there are more second chances. In saying that, (Ellis) did a real good job. He's played well against us and he has the makings of a good goaltender. We've got to make sure that we make it hard enough for him and get to their net enough.

"You're not going to score any cheap goals, so there's no sense being cute."

Meanwhile, at the other end of the ice, Dominik Hasek wasn't really tested at all, finishing with 19 saves.

The only puck to get by the Dominator was a nifty redirection from Predators bundle-of-energy Jordin Tootoo, who deflected home a point shot from Greg Zanon through the five-hole to tie the game late in the second period.