DETROIT, Michigan -- Mikael Samuelsson scored 5:14 into overtime Tuesday night, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Detroit now has a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final matchup.
Samuelsson's goal came on a three-on-one with Jiri Hudler and Valtteri Filppula.
Samuelsson blocked a pass at the Detroit blue line to start the play. Hudler carried the puck into the Chicago zone before passing off to Filppula in the slot. Filppula faked the shot and passed back over to Samuelsson to blast a one-timer past Chicago netminder Nikolai Khabibulin.
Chicago had opened the game's scoring with 7:11 left in the first period as a cross-crease pass from Jonathan Toews defelected off of defenseman Jonathan Ericsson's skate and between the pads of Detroit goalie Chris Osgood for a power play goal.
The Red Wings got on the board 3:54 later with a power play goal of their own, scored on a seeing-eye shot from the blue line by Brian Rafalski.
Dan Cleary scored a breakaway goal with 5:54 left in the second to give Detroit a lead. Cleary blocked a Brent Seabrook pass at the Detroit blueline and corralled the puck, racing in all alone to beat Khabibulin five-hole.
The Blackhawks tied things with another goal by Toews, who deflected a shot by Kris Versteeg past Osgood with 7:40 left in regulation.
Osgood finished the night with 37 saves on 39 shots. Khabibulin stopped 35 of 38 Detroit chances.
Each team scored once on the power play. Detroit had four tries with the extra attacker while Chicago had five, including 59 seconds of five-on-three time in the first period.
The series now shifts to Chicago for Games Three and Four on Friday and Sunday.
Notes: Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock announced after the game that Kirk Maltby will return to the Detroit lineup for Game Three. Maltby has been out since Game Seven of Detroit's second-round matchup with the Anaheim Ducks.
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SSSAAAMMMMUUUEEELLLLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOONNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely beautiful passing. Fantastic play. Holy hell.
Headed to the United Center up two to nothing. Six more to go...
wow i think i woke up the neighborhood with my hootin and hollerin what a play 2-0 what a start to this series you also have to think we are really striking fear into Pens and Canes with winning games without our big guns scoring every night
That was a nail biter!
Again, we haven't seen the Wing's A game yet...!
Again, we haven't seen the Wing's A game yet...!
The Wings half-assing it this late in the playoffs is a major concern. Ozzie can't bail them out forever.
Again, we haven't seen the Wing's A game yet...!
The Wings half-assing it this late in the playoffs is a major concern. Ozzie can't bail them out forever.
Again, I think this (patience? confidence?) is definitely a 2-edged sword...I never know whether they are just so confident that they don't panic in the face of adversity or if they are lacking the urgency to realize they are facing adversity!! However, Babcock seems to think that they were lacking legs last night. Certainly, the crispness, strength and efficiency that marks their best games was missing...didn't seem to be as much hitting by the Wings (Am I right about that?)....Still, I think the Blackhawks did play their best/better game and still it wasn't enough...could have been, but wasn't.
Don't underestimate Ozzie....
Onward!
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Mikael Samuelsson
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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