Red Wings 4, Ducks 3
DETROIT -- Henrik Zetterberg's second goal of the game, 1:04 into overtime, gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night at Joe Louis Arena and forced Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Game 7 is Sunday night at Anaheim's Honda Center.
Zetterberg also added an assist and Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and two assists and Justin Abdelkader also scored for Detroit. Abdelkader returned after serving his two-game suspension for a hit on Anaheim defenseman Toni Lydman in Game 3.
Jimmy Howard made 34 saves.
Emerson Etem had a goal and an assist and Kyle Palmieri and Bobby Ryan also scored for Anaheim. Jonas Hiller stopped 25 shots.
Zetterberg's winner came on a slap shot from above the left circle.
Etem and Ryan scored 51 seconds apart in the final four minutes to tie the game 3-3 and force overtime.
Etem made it 3-2 with 3:28 left when he intercepted Valtteri Filppula's back pass off the back boards behind the Detroit net and put the puck past the surprised Howard for his second goal. Ryan tied it on a shot from just outside the crease to Howard's right, with 2:37 left. It was Ryan's second goal.
Zetterberg hit the goal post with 57 seconds left.
His power-play goal 6:19 into the third period broke a 1-1 tie. Zetterberg's first of the series came on a slap shot from just above the left circle. He had gone seven playoff games without scoring a goal, the longest postseason drought of his career.
Abdelkader scored with 8:30 left to make it 3-1. His screened shot from along the left wing boards hit the goal post and bounced in off the back of Hiller's shoulder. It was Abdelklader's second goal of the series.
Palmieri was credited with the goal that tied the game at 1, with 8:29 left in the middle period. His shot from the right circle hit the goal post but deflected back into the net off Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith. It was Palmieri's third goal of the series.
The play was caused by a turnover by Smith's defensive partner Kyle Quincey. Etem intercepted Quincey's flubbed pass from around the Detroit blue line and passed to Palmieri.
Howard made a spectacular save on Teemu Selanne about three minutes into the second period. Selanne appeared to have an empty net off a cross-crease feed from Etem, but Howard was able to get over ad make the stop.
Datsyuk opened the scoring with 1:12 left in the first period. He carried the puck from the left circle into the slot, making a move around Ryan Getzlaf in the process, and beat Hiller with a backhand shot for Datsyuk's second goal of the series.
NOTE: While Abdelkader returned after serving his two-game suspension for a hit on Anaheim defenseman Toni Lydman, Lydman hasn't returned. He still is complaining of headaches and isn't close, according to Ducks' coach Bruce Boudreau. Abdelkader rejoined Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the Red Wings' top line. Forward Patrick Eaves came out of the Detroit lineup to make room for Abdelkader. ... Detroit defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo made his series debut, replacing Brian Lashoff on the Wings' blue line. Detroit coach Mike Babcock said he thought Colaiacovo would improve the Red Wings' ability to move the puck out of their own zone.