DETROIT - Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are coming on strong after slow starts.

Zetterberg had two goals and an assist, and Datsyuk added four assists to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.

The loss prevented Nashville, which has 67 points, from passing Anaheim and Buffalo (both with 68) for the NHL lead in points for the first time this season.

Nicklas Lidstrom, Jiri Hudler and Tomas Holmstrom also scored for Detroit, which won its fifth straight.

Datsyuk has 14 points — two goals and 12 assists — in his last five games, Zetterberg has three goals and nine assists while scoring at least a point in six straight games, and linemate Holmstrom has nine goals in his last 10 games.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s fun to watch from the bench,” Hudler said. “Hank, and Pav, and Homer as well, they work hard and make unbelievable plays.”

Datsyuk now has 13 goals and 45 points, and Zetterberg 19 goals and 40 points.

“They are our offensive power,” said Dominik Hasek, who made 14 saves. “Pavel, he can really prepare the chances, Hank, the same thing. The last few games, they’re playing very well.”

Greg Zanon got his first NHL goal, and Jordin Tootoo and Dan Hamhuis also scored for Nashville, which snapped its six-game winning streak.

Detroit scored four goals in the second period.

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“I think we just game them too much room to create in the second period,” Nashville’s Steve Sullivan said. “We were getting caught with our pants down, letting them get four players up the ice on every rush.”

Zetterberg’s second of the game tied the score at 2 with a backhanded shot from the right circle that trickled through Tomas Vokoun’s pads at 1:32.

Vokoun was then pulled in favor of Chris Mason. Zetterberg’s first goal had also found its way through Vokoun’s pads.

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“Bad couple of goals, you know? Pretty simple. They were just two bad goals,” Vokoun said.

Hamhuis put the Predators back in front 53 seconds later with a shot that went off the stick of Red Wings defenseman Andreas Lilja and into the net.

Lidstrom’s power-play goal tied the score 3-3 when he tipped in Datsyuk’s pass with 7:38 remaining in the period. Hudler gave Detroit the lead for good less than 2 minutes later when he beat Mason from the bottom of the left circle.

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“He (Valtteri Filppula) gave me the puck. Three-on-two. It was great timing by Fil,” said Hudler. “I didn’t see the net. I just threw it in. I like that shot. A tap on the backhand, shoot it. That’s what it’s all about.”

Holmstrom closed the scoring with his 14th goal with 1 minute left in the period.

Zanon opened the scoring as he tipped in Sullivan’s pass 6:35 into the game. Zetterberg tied it 50 seconds later.

Tootoo tipped in Scott Hartnell’s pass to put the Predators ahead again with 5:08 left in the period.

“It was an important win for us,” said Zetterberg. “Thirteen turnovers in the fist period, that’s not good. We came out in the second and controlled the play.”

Notes: Detroit D Mathieu Schneider didn’t play because of a strained knee ligament. ... Nashville C David Legwand, who grew up in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe Woods, played junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Plymouth Whalers, who are based in Detroit’s western suburbs.