The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings will return to the Western Conference Finals to continue their title defense, after downing the pesky Anaheim Ducks in a tough seven game battle. In the 3rd period, with 3 minutes left and the game tied at 3, center Daniel Cleary stuffed in a rebound from just outside the crease to finally put the Ducks down for good.
The Red Wings had looked poised to take the series after Game 5, where they dominated the Ducks at home. However, after the Ducks took Game 6 in Anaheim, the series came down to the final game at Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings jumped ahead early, taking a 2-0 lead less than a minute into the 2nd period, off young defenseman Darren Helm’s goal. After Teemu Selanne finally put the Ducks on the board, Detroit forward Mikael Samuelsson beat Jonas Hiller to give the Red Wings a 3-1 lead.
But Corey Perry scored a powerplay goal less than a minute later, and Bobby Ryan scored 7 minutes into the 3rd period to tie the game and set up a thrilling finish. Both teams had multiple chances to end the game, with both Hiller and Chris Osgood making spectacular saves throughout the game. In the end, despite a roster sporting the names of Hossa, Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Lidstrom, Detroit needed a goal from a checking winger to beat the Ducks. Cleary, known more for his defensive ability than his scoring touch, is currently ranked 1st among the remaining players in +/- for the postseason, recording a +10 rating so far.
The victory was difficult to swallow for the Ducks, who had already accomplished much more than was expected of them in this postseason. Despite barely squeaking into the final playoff berth, Anaheim dispatched of the top-ranked Sharks with alarming ease in the first round, and actually led this series against Detroit 2-1 after a Game 3 victory. In the end, Detroit’s top-to-bottom depth proved to be the deciding factor. Although Hossa, Zetterberg and Datsyuk were all held goal-less in the final Game 7, the Wings still managed to put up enough goals to win, despite playing one of the top defensive teams in the league. While there are certainly some talented teams left in the playoff picture, Detroit’s stunning ability to play complete team hockey, from their first line to their fourth line, has to make them the odds-on favorite to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.