Ann 22009 NHL Playoffs – Round 2: Lidstrom Leads Rusty Red Wings To 3-2 Victory Over Ducks
May 4th 2009 03:23
Similarly to the Vancouver Canucks who had plenty of rest before facing the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings were returning to playoffs action after a relatively easy sweep of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The lack of competitive play was evident in their first game against the Anaheim Ducks as their rustiness led to sloppy and often imprecise passes, slower reaction times, and a decline of their performance in the face-off circle.
The Ducks, on the other hand, had fire in their legs from the opening whistle. They even went as scoring the first goal of the game when Corey Perry's shot rifled past Chris Osgood's glove in the first period. Despite Detroit's lack of jump, their most potent weapon – the powerplay – was at full throttle providing both the equalizing goal in the first period (a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct was issued to Anaheim's Mike Brown for a nasty hit on Brad Stuart in open ice) and a slim one-goal lead in the second. The Ducks replied with a powerplay goal of their own in the final seconds of the second period to make it 2-2.
The third period was pretty uneventful as both teams tried their best to avoid making that fatal mistake that would see them fall behind. With the way things were progressing, I was just getting ready for overtime when Nicklas Lidstrom evaded Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry's marking to pick up his shot's rebound and bury the puck past Hiller in the final minute of the game. As the second were winding down, the main objective was to protect Chris Osgood and the Wings did an excellent job. Zetterberg dropping his body on the puck after a face-off was the final play of the game as Detroit won the first game of what promises to be a tight series.
My 3 Stars:
3. Corey Perry (Honorable mention to Johan Frnazen)
2. Ryan Getzlaf
1. Nicklas Lidstrom
The Ducks, on the other hand, had fire in their legs from the opening whistle. They even went as scoring the first goal of the game when Corey Perry's shot rifled past Chris Osgood's glove in the first period. Despite Detroit's lack of jump, their most potent weapon – the powerplay – was at full throttle providing both the equalizing goal in the first period (a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct was issued to Anaheim's Mike Brown for a nasty hit on Brad Stuart in open ice) and a slim one-goal lead in the second. The Ducks replied with a powerplay goal of their own in the final seconds of the second period to make it 2-2.
The third period was pretty uneventful as both teams tried their best to avoid making that fatal mistake that would see them fall behind. With the way things were progressing, I was just getting ready for overtime when Nicklas Lidstrom evaded Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry's marking to pick up his shot's rebound and bury the puck past Hiller in the final minute of the game. As the second were winding down, the main objective was to protect Chris Osgood and the Wings did an excellent job. Zetterberg dropping his body on the puck after a face-off was the final play of the game as Detroit won the first game of what promises to be a tight series.
My 3 Stars:
3. Corey Perry (Honorable mention to Johan Frnazen)
1. Nicklas Lidstrom
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