Red Wings Down Blackhawks in Game Three to Take 2-1 Series Lead

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks for the second consecutive game on Monday night, taking a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference Semifinal matchup on the strength of a 3-1 win.

Pavel Datsyuk scored at 6:46 of the third period to halt a Chicago comeback and seal the victory. After Johan Franzen gained the Chicago zone, he dished the puck off to Datsyuk for a heavy wrister from the right faceoff circle over the shoulder of Blackhawks’ goalie Corey Crawford to make it 3-1.

Patrick Kane had gotten Chicago on the board 2:11 earlier. After Franzen was seemingly boarded in the Blackhawks’ zone, Duncan Keith flipped a long pass out to Kane in the neutral zone, springing him in all alone to beat Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard and cut the Red Wings’ lead to 2-1.

The Blackhawks thought they had tied things up just moments later but their apparent second goal was called back for goaltender interference as Andrew Shaw was perched in Howard’s crease.

After a scoreless first period, Gustav Nyquist opened the game’s scoring at 7:49 of the second. Damien Brunner chipped the puck into the Chicago end and Nyquist chased it down before skating around defenseman Brent Seabrook and outwaiting Crawford, lifting a shot over the sprawling pair.

Just 31 seconds later, Patrick Eaves batted his own rebound in behind Crawford, with Johnny Oduya diving to keep the puck out of the net. Drew Miller was there too, though, and poked the puck off Oduya’s stick and across the goal line to make it 2-0.

Howard finished the night with 39 saves on 40 shots. Crawford stopped 27 of 30 Detroit chances.

Neither team scored a power play goal on the night. Detroit had five tries with the extra attacker to Chicago’s four.

Game Four will be in Detroit on Thursday night.