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Red Wings score early to douse Flames

Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom scored in the first four minutes and the Detroit Red Wings went on to beat the Calgary Flames 3-1, taking a 2-0 lead in their first-round NHL playoffs series on Sunday.

The Flames had five penalties, two of which led to Lidstrom's goal, in the first 8:13. The Flames seemed to unravel in the opening period, getting penalized twice for cross-checking in a 2-minute span.

Calgary's Dion Phaneuf scored a power-play goal early in the second period on a shot that was deflected and fluttered past Dominik Hasek's glove. The Flames went into the third within a goal because of that key score and Miikka Kiprusoff's 33 saves through two periods.

But they couldn't beat Hasek again.

Six minutes into the final period, Detroit rookie Valtteri Filppula followed up his goal-scoring debut in the playoffs with a goal off a rebound.

Senators 4, Penguins 2

At Pittsburgh, Daniel Alfredsson scored twice during a second dominating Ottawa second period in as many days.

The Senators made this lead stand up, taking Pittsburgh's stars and its crowd out of the game in Game 3.

The Senators also reclaimed home-ice advantage -- they have as many as two home games remaining in the series -- by mostly controlling Pittsburgh's stars and getting two key goals from one of their own in Alfredsson.

Ottawa, rebounding from a 4-3 loss at home barely 24 hours before, took a 2-1 lead.

The Senators have been in control for all but one-and-a-half periods of the series.

Ducks 2, Wild 1

At St. Paul, Minnesota, Ilya Bryzgalov and defensively dominant Anaheim are one win away from advancing to the second round.

Andy McDonald scored early, Rob Niedermayer scored late, and Bryzgalov stopped 19 shots. Anaheim leads the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal 3-0. Game 4 is scheduled for today, giving Minnesota one last chance to get its power play going.

Frustrated all week by Ducks star defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger and their lesser-known teammates, Minnesota went 1-for-5 on the power play and is 1-for-15 in the series.

And that goal -- by Petteri Nummelin -- didn't come until 38.2 seconds remained -- the only blemish on another stellar game by Bryzgalov.

Rob Niedermayer, Scott's less-decorated brother, led a rush up the right side and zipped a shot over Niklas Backstrom's shoulder for a 2-0 lead with 10:17 left.

Canucks 2, Stars 1

At Dallas, home goaltender Marty Turco was headed toward successive playoff shutouts until allowing a tying goal in the third period, then getting beaten on a one-timer from the left circle by Taylor Pyatt 7:47 into overtime. That gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead in this series.

Turco, who was hoping to shed his reputation as a playoff underachiever, fell to 1-9 in postseason overtime games. This also was the fifth straight home playoff loss for him and the Stars.

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