DETROIT, Michigan -- Dan Cleary scored with just three minutes remaining Thursday night, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks in the deciding Game Seven of their Western Conference Semifinal matchup.
The Red Wings now advance to face the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals.
Cleary's goal broke a 3-3 tie in the game's final minutes. Henrik Zetterberg put the puck to the front of the net and Cleary jammed it past Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller.
Detroit had opened the scoring with a power play goal with 4:17 left in the first period. Johan Franzen snapped a shot on net and Jiri Hudler tipped the puck past Hiller to get the Wings on the board.
Darren Helm put Detroit up by a pair just 1:17 into the second, beating Hiller on a breakaway.
Teemu Selanne notched a goal with 5:10 left in the second period, jamming the puck in from the side of the net with Detroit goalie Chris Osgood stuck at the top of the crease.
Mikael Samuelsson restored the two-goal lead for Detroit just 33 seconds later, putting a wrister past Hiller on a feed from Pavel Datsyuk, who took a hit behind the net to make the play.
Corey Perry put in a rebound for a power play goal before the end of the period, scoring with 2:48 left in the second.
Bobby Ryan tied things up 7:37 into the third, tipping the puck past Osgood on a feed from Perry.
Osgood finished the night with 24 saves on 27 shots against. Hiller stopped 36 of 40 Detroit chances.
Each team finished the night one-for-five on the power play. The Red Wings had 22 seconds of five-on-three time while the Ducks had a two-man advantage twice for a total of 1:45.
The Red Wings will be off until Sunday when they open at home against Chicago.
Notes: Kris Draper made his first appearance of the postseason for the Red Wings, returning from an upper-body injury to replace Kirk Maltby in the lineup... With the Carolina Hurricanes' win over the Boston Bruins, Detroit has the highest remaining seed in the playoffs, and would have home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Thought this was a great line from MacLeod:
The Ducks fight; in fact, they would probably try to change your mind about their preoccupation with fighting by fighting you.
The Ducks fight; in fact, they would probably try to change your mind about their preoccupation with fighting by fighting you.
That's cute 
AND YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS MALTBY IS OUT. I must go celebrate!
so Draper's in?
Still not confirmed that Draper is in but I'm hearing he is. Supposedly it's Abdelkader - Draper - Samuelsson for the fourth line.
Just in case you needed some Game Seven motivation.
http://www.detroitho...ts_st_louis.php
30 minutes.
It would be nice to have Drapes back in the line up although I don't think we will know still its time for the pre-game warm-up. Game seven... I'm nervous
Here's what I'm looking for: The future captain to have a game like The Captain would have had last time the Wings were on the road to a repeat.
I've got an Yzerman jersey on to try to channel some of that.
Just in case I wasn't psyched enough, just took a second listening to the Bear McCreary version of All Along the Watchtower. Poundy drums. Sitar. Drama.
Draper officially in for Maltby.
Shame it's been so long since Wings fans have been treated to a game seven. Whether or not it's a treat will be decided in 60+ minutes.
Not a Wings or Bruins fan by any means, but the prospect of having three of the original six in the final four is very intriguing!
Not a Wings fan by any means
MMM...I am a Karen Newman fan though!
And away we go...
Zata puts Perry into the turnbuckle. Maybe Perry should have kept his head up.
Ozzie comes up huge but a bullsh*t call.
Nice save by the most the under-rated goalie in the league...maybe ever.
f*cking 5 on 3 now.
HUGE kill
Insane f*cking kill. Holy sh*t. One shot.
I'll be damned, Wings get a power play.
*cough* make-up call...lol
Can barely get a shot on a 5 on 3. Ha.
No kidding. I'd rather just have them call the game right.
Missed second Wings penalty, but Zetterberg and Getzlaf should not have been called for what they did in a game seven....reason #482 why I love hockey, but detest the NHL
No PPG but at least Helm is back out after going off following the high hit.
Rather lacklustre powerplay. Osgood comes up huge again.
Missed second Wings penalty, but Zetterberg and Getzlaf should not have been called for what they did in a game seven....reason #482 why I love hockey, but detest the NHL
I would have thought the Getzlaf call was a make up for the second Wings penalty, it was even worse than the first.
The penalties in this game really suck. Haha. That's all I have to say right now.
i welcome Getzlaf's sorry f'n butt's goon play 2nite if he want's to stay in the sin bin leave the light on for him lol
No shots on the damn power play. Come on, guys!
HUDLER!
Hudler gets the first goal! YESYESYESYESYES.
This is ghetuckrodidulous!
H-H-H-H-HUDLER!!!! All alone in the slot.
I can't believe the Wings are at 25% on the PP this series. Feels much worse than that.
WOOOOOO! i was really stressed about them getting on the board first thank you HUDLER!!!
First Blood! Huds is geting pretty good with the deflections
WOOOOOO! i was really stressed about them getting on the board first thank you HUDLER!!!
Past tense? I'm still stressed.
WOOOOOO! i was really stressed about them getting on the board first thank you HUDLER!!!
Past tense? I'm still stressed.
yeah i'm still stressed but i wanted us to get the 1st so hopefully they would make some mstakes tryin to press the issue to even it up
Shame it's been so long since Wings fans have been treated to a game seven. Whether or not it's a treat will be decided in 60+ minutes.
Not a Wings or Bruins fan by any means, but the prospect of having three of the original six in the final four is very intriguing!
On that note it was nice to have five of the six make the post season. I was hoping for a Detroit/Montreal final though.
On that note it was nice to have five of the six make the post season. I was hoping for a Detroit/Montreal final though.
Me too. Them or Philly. But look where that's gotten me! I am hoping the Caps take the East.
Solid period for Detroit. Ducks got their best chances on bad changes for the Wings, plus Ozzie's big stop before the power play. I think I'm going to be nervous until tomorrow morning, the way I feel right now.
On that note it was nice to have five of the six make the post season. I was hoping for a Detroit/Montreal final though.
Me too. Them or Philly. But look where that's gotten me!
Cap's got taken out 6-2 last night...so the first 20 is in the book's and they looked good the 2nd has been our problem throughout the series
I am hoping the Caps take the East.
A little late for that.
Agreed.
Side note:
One of the downsides of Hockey in Southern California is you get stuck with horrible sportscastors from Anaheim and LA. The Ducks guys keep saying that the Wings are a puck posession team... Really? Are you kidding me? That is the best you have?
Now they are saying the boards at the Joe are the reason why the Wings have such a good powerplay at home. Whatever...
Now they are saying the boards at the Joe are the reason why the Wings have such a good powerplay at home. Whatever...
that's funny because you play hal at home half on the road did we not finish #1 in the PP i love all the excuse's they have come up with to try and make our team out to be a fluke
Breakaway goal! Helm's a f*cking stud!
HELM! I love him. I am so happy to share a birthday with him.
THAT WAS AMAZING. Bedazzling. Mastodonic. You name it.
I am hoping the Caps take the East.
A little late for that.
I forgot they played last night. So I take it they lost? Hahaha. That sucks |: Maybe I should want Anaheim and Chicago to win the West...?
Usain Helm. What a beast.
Talk about shot out of a cannon... Jeez, he left burn marks on the ice! Way to go Helm!
Dan Cleary
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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