Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom scored a game-winning goal with 50 seconds remaining as the Stanley Cup champions edged the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Friday in the first game of their Western Conference semi-final series.
Lidstrom followed up his own shot and slid in behind obscured goaltender Jonas Hiller to score his second goal of the game.
“I thought it was a tight game through the entire 60 minutes,” Lidstrom told reporters. “You could tell it was playoff hockey out there, both teams were giving their all. There’s a lot of intensity out there and both teams want to win.”
PHOTO: AP
The Red Wings had not played since April 23, when they completed their sweep of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round.
Hiller made 34 saves for the Ducks, who took an early 1-0 advantage on a goal from Corey Perry at 7:28 in the first.
Johan Franzen tied the score on a powerplay five minutes later before Lidstrom’s second period slap shot edged Detroit into the lead.
Teemu Selanne tied the game at 2-2 with 17 seconds left in the second period, before Lidstrom scored the game-winner.
In a physical encounter between the past two Stanley Cup champions, Anaheim winger Mike Brown was ejected in the first period after a hit on Detroit’s Jiri Hudler, who had to be helped from the ice with a bloody head wound.
“The league has to decide [what to do about the hit],” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “I think the league and the player’s association is very quick to protect a player’s head. To me, it’s a vicious dirty hit, but you have to keep playing.”
Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle did not agree.
“I’m sure [the Red Wings] are going to say it was dirty, but this is a game where physical contact is allowed,” he said. “He hit him with his shoulder. That’s not a dirty hit in hockey.”
Game two is scheduled for today in Detroit.
BRUINS 4, HURRICANES 1
At Boston, Marc Savard scored twice and Tim Thomas stopped 26 shots to lead the home squad past Carolina in game one of their Eastern Conference semi-final.
Michael Ryder scored for the fourth game in a row and David Krejci also scored for the top-seeded Bruins, who swept the Hurricanes during the regular season and on Friday made it five straight with a combined score of 22-7.
Cam Ward made 20 saves and Jussi Jokinen scored the lone goal for Carolina.
Game two will be played in Boston today.
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