[Game Recap] Wings roast Ducks 4-3 in Anaheim

by Christy on Jan 14, 2009 11:44 PM CST in Game Recaps

The Detroit Red Wings (30-7-6) roasted the Anaheim Ducks (22-18-5) in their second game of the five-game road trip. It was the Ducks' first loss this season after leading at the end of the second period. Despite being down 3-2 at the start of the third period, the Wings were able to claw their way back into the game and leave Anaheim with two points.

Tomas Holmstrom opened the scoring with a goal nearly halfway through the first period. Pavel Datsyuk had brought up the puck through the neutral zone before dishing the puck from near the hash marks along the boards on the right to Homer, who tipped the puck in. With three minutes remaining in the first frame, the Ducks would score two quick goals giving Anaheim the 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.

2:49 into the second stanza, Jiri Hudler scored when he took a one-timer from just above the left faceoff dot after a weird bounce off the boards. It was Detroit's only power-play goal of the game. Niklas Kronwall and Mikael Samuelsson earned the assists.

Dan Cleary fired a rocket from just inside the top of the right faceoff circle to tie the game up at three goals apiece. Derek Meech filled in for Kirk Maltby (healthy scratch) and it paid off with an assist on Cleary's goal along with Valtteri Filppula.

Just 35 seconds later, Johan Franzen knocks in a rebound off of J.S. Giguere. The play was reviewed because his stick was awfully close to the crossbar. Both Datsyuk and Kronwall earned their second assists of the evening. 11 of Franzen's 19 goals this season have come in the third period.

After the first period, Chris Osgood had a relatively easy night in goal facing 26 shots but when the Ducks got an extra player after pulling their goalie, Ozzie was stellar in maintaining that one-goal lead.

Christy's Red Wing of the Game: Johan Franzen

He got the game-winning goal thanks to some slick hand coordination and stickwork.