The thing about “Game 5’s” is that there is always something at stake.Sunday night’s Game 5 between the Detroit Red Wings and the Anaheim Ducks was no different, with the winner grabbing a 3-2 series lead in this Western Conference semifinal and the opportunity to close out the series on Tuesday night in Anaheim. It would be the Red Wings who took care of business, and in convincing fashion, dropping the Ducks by a score of 4-1 and putting them on the brink of elimination.
The Wings came out roaring, applying pressure right from the beginning of the game and maintaining it throughout the entire period. However, despite outshooting the Ducks 14-3 on the first period, the Wings weren’t able to get one by Jonas Hiller, and the first intermission found both teams scoreless.
The Wings would keep the relentless pressure coming during the second period, and it would be Johan Franzen who would strike first, taking a Justin Abdelkader pass and beating Hiller with a wrist shot to put the Wings up 1-0. Just 39 seconds later, Jiri Hudler would bat the rebound from a Henrik Zetterberg shot out of mid-air and into the net, giving the Wings a 2-0 lead. However, the Ducks would find an answer on the power play, when Ryan Whitney beat Chris Osgood with a wrist shot that snaked through traffic, making it a 2-1 game. Osgood would bounce back late in the second, though, making a dazzling save on an Erik Christensen backhanded one-timer and preserving the Wings’ lead after two periods.
The pressure wouldn’t slow from the Wings, and the only thing that kept the Ducks in the game was a pair of saves from Hiller on Marian Hossa. But even Hiller’s luck would run out when Darren Helm flipped a loose puck over Hiller’s shoulder with 3:08 to play. Zetterberg would add an empty net goal to round out the scoring, giving the Wings a dominant 4-1 victory.
Chris’ Red Wing of the Game
Henrik Zetterberg
With a goal and two assists, Hank’s three point night garners him the nod for tonight’s top star.
Now comes the all-important Game 6. The Wings head to Anaheim, and will look to eliminate the Ducks and secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night. The puck drops at 10:00 PM and the game can be seen on Versus.
