ANAHEIM, Calif. – Teemu Selanne scored a power play goal early in the 3rd period to give the Anaheim Ducks a 2-1 lead over the Detroit Red Wings and ultimately the win in Game 1 of the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series Tuesday night in Anaheim.
Goalie Jimmy Howard's 24 saves for Detroit would not be enough as the Ducks went 2/5 on the power play. The Ducks added an empty net goal with seconds remaining to make it 3-1.
Anaheim struck first midway through the 1st period with a goal from Nick Bonino. The lead would be short-lived after Ryan Getzlaf and Daniel Winnik took back-to-back penalties, giving the Red Wings a two-man advantage. Daniel Cleary got the power play goal by deflecting a shot from defenseman Jakub Kindl.
Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller had shown solid play between the pipes before that goal.
View: Game 1 boxscore
The teams went into the 1st intermission with a 1-1 tie.
The Red Wings failed to score on two power plays in the 2nd period including a goaltender interference call on Corey Perry whose skate hit Jimmy Howard in the head as he pushed his way through the crease. The Ducks had no luck on their own man-advantage opportunity.
The teams remained locked in a 1-1 tie heading into the 3rd.
However, the period would not end uneventfully. Kindl was called for delay of game with 19 seconds left in the 2nd period. The Red Wings had to start the 3rd period on the penalty kill.
The Ducks took full advantage of that. Veteran Teemu Selanne got the power play goal, the Ducks' second of the game.
The Red Wings continued to send pucks toward Hiller who stayed strong in the 3rd, turning away quality chances Detroit had to tie the game. Yet, the Ducks were outshooting the Red Wings 18 to 12.
The Wings pulled Howard with a minute and 1/2 to go in regulation.
Hiller held on in the final moments to allow his team the win in Game 1. He stopped a total of 21 shots.
Francois Beauchemin scored on the open net to make it 3-1. It was a long shot from his own zone.
The teams meet again Thursday night for Game 2 in Anaheim.