Detroit, MI (My Sportsbook) - Nicklas Lidstrom tallied twice, including the game-winner with 49.1 seconds left in regulation as Detroit clipped Anaheim, 3-2, in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals from Joe Louis Arena.
Johan Franzen provided the other score for the Red Wings, who have won five consecutive games to open the playoffs and have taken six straight beyond the regular season dating back to Game 6 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals.
Detroit picked up the win despite the absence of defenseman and power-play specialist Brian Rafalski, who missed the game with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
Chris Osgood won his fifth game of this postseason with 22 saves and registered an assist.
Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne scored for the Ducks, who put up a fight but fell in the series opener after dispatching top-seed and Presidents' Trophy winner San Jose in a six-game first-round victory.
Jonas Hiller suffered the loss despite stopping 34-of-37 shots.
Game 2 of this best-of-seven series is slated for Sunday in Detroit.
On the game-deciding score, Lidstrom deftly redirected a hard pass from Dan Cleary in the slot. Hiller made the initial save, but the rebound kicked out into the low slot. With Franzen tussling alongside a Ducks defender, Lidstrom came in from the point and slid a shot through Hiller's pads for a 3-2 Red Wings edge.
Hiller was pulled for an extra skater seconds later, and Osgood remained glued to the puck as the Ducks desperately tried to jam it home during a scrum in the crease with two seconds left. However, a faceoff win as time ran out sealed the Detroit victory.
The Ducks got on the board first, as Perry took a Ryan Getzlaf feed on the left wing and sailed a wrister over Osgood's glove 7:28 into the contest.
Anaheim forward Mike Brown was given a major for interference and a game misconduct with 8 1/2 minutes left in the first period for leveling Wings forward Jiri Hudler with a hard shoulder hit as Hudler was looking in the opposite direction.
Franzen converted from the edge of the crease a little more than a minute later, but the Ducks managed to kill off the remainder of the advantage.
Lidstrom eventually converted on another Detroit power play, with his trademark slap shot from the bottom of the left circle at 14:24 of the second period, but the Ducks cashed in on a late advantage with Selanne tallying only 17 seconds before intermission.
Anaheim could have taken a one-goal lead midway through the third, but rookie sensation Bobby Ryan shot high over a wide-open net from 15 feet out.
Game Notes
Each club has won two series in four prior playoff meetings, but Anaheim has taken the last two (2007 West finals, 2003 West quarterfinals)...Red Wings forward Kris Draper, who has yet to hit the ice in the playoffs, did not play and is expected to miss Game 2...Chris Pronger and Getzlaf each contributed two assists in defeat for Anaheim...Hudler received 10 stitches around his face for the hit and returned to action.
