Detroit 5, Anaheim 0
Duck season! Rabbit season! Duck season! Rabbit season! Duck season!
It was definitely Duck season last night at the Honda Center as the Detroit Red Wings made for hungry hunters as they scored five goals on two goaltenders in front of a bewildered overflow crowd of 17,358.
The Anaheim Ducks were a mess. They took 11 penalties and allowed the Red Wings nine advantages; they managed to convert one for their fifth power-play goal in the series.
Most of the penalties came in the second, when the Ducks’ game fell apart after defensive-zone blunders had led to goals by Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom in the first. “Obviously, our frustration level got up there and we didn’t show the necessary discipline that’s required,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said. “It just seemed to have a snowball effect.” It made for a relatively stress-free evening for Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek, who stopped 29 shots for his 14th career playoff shutout.
“They were obviously the better team tonight; simple as that,” Carlyle said. “They started with the puck more often than we did. They played their system a lot better. They’ve got a puck possession team and they controlled the puck. There were far too many passes through the neutral ice into the middle of ice.“
Todd Bertuzzi made it 3-0 when the puck deflected off his left skate and into the net. Jean-Sebastien Giguere was pulled after Bertuzzi’s goal at the 3:17 mark of the second period, with Ilya Bryzgalov making his first appearance since Game 4 of the first round against Minnesota. Carlyle said he pulled Giguere not because he was disappointed but because “things weren’t going our way at all.”
Bryzgalov allowed two goals on 15 shots. Holmstrom beat Bryzgalov and scored his second goal of the game and fifth of this year’s playoffs when he knocked in a rebound of Valtteri Filppula’s wraparound. A cross-ice pass from Holmstrom to Filppula resulted in the final goal.
Things may not get much better for Anaheim as they wait for a decision on the availability of defenseman Chris Pronger and left wing Rob Niedermayer.
That could come into question if the NHL decides their crunching hit on Detroit winger Tomas Holmstrom in the second period deserves a suspension. Pronger initially drove Holmstrom into the glass and Niedermayer followed with a hit on the other side. Niedermayer received a major boarding penalty, which called for an automatic game misconduct. Holmstrom needed 13 stitches to close two cuts on his forehead.Afterward, Rob Niedermayer expressed shock at his ejection.
“All I did was take a couple of strides and just finished my check,” he said. “You don’t want to see anybody hurt out there for sure. I hit him with my shoulder. I was surprised. I’m just happy that he’s back playing.”
Anaheim would be happy with better play and if duck season ends before Game 4 on Thursday.
