DETROIT, Mich – Hard to argue that is one of those marquee games in the NHL playoffs this season. The East has the Pens and Caps but this west series has the last two Stanley Cup Champions facing off the in second round.
To get here the Red Wings needed little effort to sweep aside the Columbus Blue Jackets who were making their first post season appearance.
In the meantime, the Ducks arrived in Detroit after dispatching the San Jose Sharks in six games.
The tension was certainly palpable in the opening minutes but the Ducks shook it off first with a goal from Corey Perry, his 4th, at 7:28 of the first.
After some lackluster play the Red Wings received a 5-minute man advantage after Mike Brown was whistled for a major elbow infraction. He received a game misconduct on the play as well. After some uneven play with the extra skater the Wings cashed in with the tying goal off the stick of Johan Franzen at 12:33 of the first.
Franzen played perhaps his best game of the post season so far.
Jonas Hiller was solid in net for the Ducks during the 5-minute long major. At least through the first period the Ducks avoided the disaster that Brown’s major might well have caused.
Chris Osgood was also solid in net in the first and made a sensational save on the Ducks’ Bobby Ryan from a sharp angle.
A good defensive effort and increased intensity rounded out the first period.
The middle stanza started much more spirited than the first as both teams came out flying looking for the edge. The Ducks seemed to be unfazed by the Red Wings after dealing with the Sharks in the first round.
Around the mid-point of the game and period the Wings started coming at Hiller in waves with good pressure and excellent scoring opportunities including at least post ringer by Henrik Zetterberg.
Nicklas Lidstrom made the Ducks pay for a penalty when he buried the puck in the upper right corner of the net behind Hiller for a 2-1 lead. The goal came at 14:24 of the period.
N. Lidstrom. Photo courtesy of the National Hockey League
Teemu Selanne knotted the game on a 4-3 penalty with 16.1 seconds left in the frame. Chris Pronger assisted, his second of the game.
The third period was no different in terms of intensity and effort from both benches. The Red Wings’ power play deserted them through the first half of the third as the Ducks took a series of bad penalties but their penalty killing unit led by centerman Todd Marchant was solid in denying Detroit the lead.
Detroit began to take over the game midway through the period as they again stormed the Ducks’ net. Hiller was equal to the task in making good saves and not giving the Wings many second chances.
But Hiller could not make the last save as Lidstrom picked up his own rebound off a shot and tucked between Hiller’s pads for the 3-2 lead. Dan Cleary set up the goal with a beautiful pass to feed Lidstrom for his second of the game with 49 seconds left in the game.
The loss was a disappointing end to a tough, well-played game.
Notes:
Brian Rafalski was not in the lineup…………Chris Chelios took his spot………… The difference for the Wings in this game was the play of the third line which made the most of their time and pressured the Ducks all night.
Contact lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.com
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