Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard steals stick with skate

Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard robbed Anaheim Ducks forward Brian Gibbons during Detroit's 3-1 win on Tuesday night, but it wasn't on a save chance.

Howard managed to steal Gibbons' stick with his skate strap, causing a temporary stoppage in play.

Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour fired a shot from the point and Howard made the save as he collided with traffic in front of the net. In the fray, Gibbons' stick wedged into the goalie's skate strap and remained there for several moments.

Gibbons retreated to the bench for a new stick while Howard struggled to remove his new piece of equipment. The stick was finally removed after a linesman stopped the game and assisted Howard.

The Red Wings extended Anaheim's franchise-record losing streak to 12 games with the win. Howard saved 23 of the Ducks' 24 shots for a .958 save percentage.

Red Wings forwards Darren Helm, Anthony Mantha and Gustav Nyquist each scored goals.

Detroit moved to 18-23-7 on the season but remains close to the bottom of the Atlantic Division. The Red Wings have the fourth-fewest points (43) in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Calgary Flames (30-13-4) host Detroit on Friday night.