Ducks Bounce Back to Tie Wings, 2-2

A two-goal lead late in the second period wasn’t enough for the Detroit Red Wings to defeat the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Wednesday night. The Ducks scored in the final minute of both the second and third periods to force a tie with the Wings, who failed to defeat Anaheim for the first time this season.

With goaltender Martin Gerber on the Anaheim bench in favor of the extra attacker and only one minute remaining in regulation, Anaheim’s Vaclav Prospal picked up a rebound at the edge of the crease and flipped a shot over Detroit netminder Manny Legace to tie the game.

Detroit had led since Pavel Datsyuk scored with 7:38 remaining in the first period. With the Wings on the power play, Datsyuk sent a shot into the top of the net. The puck bounced back out so quickly that play continued and the shot had to be reviewed by video before the goal was announced.

Detroit’s lead was extended to two goals when Mathieu Schneider blasted a shot from the blue line by a screened Gerber with 9:20 left in the second period. The goal came at even strength, but Anaheim’s Cam Severson had not yet rejoined the play after leaving the penalty box.

Petr Sykora scored the Ducks’ first goal with 13 seconds remaining in the second period. Legace moved out of the net to corral the puck behind the goal but Samuel Pahlsson beat him to the puck and sent a pass to Sykora, who was all alone in front of the empty net.

The game was Detroit’s first in Anaheim since falling to the Ducks in a four-game sweep in the first round of the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wings defeated Anaheim twice this season in Detroit.

Former Red Wing Sergei Fedorov did not play in the game. He was a late scratch after coming down with the stomach flu.

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Brett Hull’s goal scoring drought reached twenty games. He assisted on Datsyuk’s goal but did not score.