(My Sportsbook) - After sitting out his much anticipated return to Toronto on Saturday, Detroit netminder Curtis Joseph responded with a 29-save performance on Tuesday as his Red Wings blanked the Calgary Flames, 5-0.

"We knew they were going to be desperate and they came out hard, but we played good defense and boxed out real well and were able to get some goals," said Joseph. "We've been playing good defense lately, and getting timely goals. That's been our key."

Joseph, who shut out the Flames earlier in the season, stopped eight shots in the first period, then turned aside 13 in the second and made eight saves in the third to preserve his 38th career shutout -- second in a Red Wings' sweater.

The 35-year-old's best save of the night occurred in the final 20 minutes, as he was caught 30 feet out of his net without a stick, but still managed to play the angle on last year's leading scorer Jarome Iginla, who shot at a nearly open net.

"The puck was coming around the boards, but then it popped out front of the net and at that point you have to improvise," Joseph said.

Kirk Maltby notched a goal and two assists for the Red Wings, who have won five in a row. Fellow Grind Line mates Darren McCarty and Kris Draper each had a score and a helper for Detroit, while Igor Larionov and Sergei Fedorov also tallied.

"We work hard every game, and some nights we get rewarded," Draper said of his line's effort. "This was one of those nights."

McCarty had a memorable night, picking up the rare Gordie Howe hat trick -- a goal, an assist and a fight, with Steve Begin.

"Any time you get mentioned in the same sentence as a living legend, you must be doing something right," McCarty said.

There was also a strange moment at the Saddledome when a fan tossed a cow's tongue onto the ice.

"I didn't know what that thing was," said Chris Chelios, who scooped the tongue off the ice. "It didn't smell like an octopus."

WHAT'S NEXT

The Red Wings will close out their four-game road trip with stops in Vancouver and Edmonton before returning home to host the Oilers and New Jersey Devils.