DETROIT — Some might have called it veteran's day.

Perhaps, an afternoon of turning back the clock.

Call it whatever you want, but as the Detroit Red Wings took a 2-0 edge in the best-of-7 Western Conference match-up there was no disputing who drove the bus in Game 2 — it was the guys with Stanley Cup rings.

A quick glance at the score sheet showed that all of the four goals scored were by players who were key contributors to Detroit's recent Stanley Cup victories.

There was Darren McCarty lighting the lamp 2:26 into the game, completing his rise from the ashes (not to mention the lower depths of the minors) to score his first playoff goal since 2006, when he was a member of the Calgary Flames.

Captain Nicklas Lidstrom made it 2-0 in the opening minute of the second period with a booming slapper from the right point.

And after the Predators had tied it with two goals in 11 seconds, watch Kris Draper come through in the clutch, banking his shot off the skate of Nashville defenceman Greg Zanon for the eventual game-winner.

Need some insurance? Just call on Tomas Holmstrom to blast home a slapper when Predators goalie Dan Ellis put it on a tee for him.

If that wasn't enough, Father Time (Chris Chelios) established a new record by appearing in 248 post-season games, eclipsing the mark set by his former teammate Patrick Roy.

"Not only does he love hockey, he loves playing playoff hockey," said Draper. "He's an inspiration to everybody in this dressing room, the way he gets himself ready, the way he trains and keeps in shape. He's just an unbelievable teammate to have."

Draper also told reporters after the game that the Red Wings can't rely on Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to provide all the offence.

"We know they're going to be great for us night in and night out but we need other guys to score some goals and take some pressure off," said Draper. "That's what we need at this time of the year."

Another big part of the end result was goalie Dominik Hasek, who led the Red Wings to the Cup in 2002.

Hasek was brilliant in the first period, turning aside all 15 shots he faced. Though he saw only 12 in the final 40 minutes, Hasek was still a major factor in the end result.

"Dom is the story," said Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock. "In the first period, we turned the puck over and gave up more chances than we would give in five games — and I'm talking quality. Dom was fantastic."