8) Anaheim Ducks (2-2) at (2) Detroit Red Wings (2-2), 5 p.m.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings will try to regain their lead in the Western Conference semifinals when they host the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 today at Joe Louis Arena.
The second-seeded Red Wings won Game 1 in Detroit, but were then handed setbacks in the following two games. However, the Red Wings avoided falling into a 3-1 series hole by posting a 6-3 decision Thursday in Anaheim to even the best-of-seven set at two games apiece.
Detroit had an excellent 27-9-5 record as the host this year and was 3-0 at home in the postseason before the Ducks won Game 2 in overtime. Anaheim, which will host Game 6 on Tuesday, was 22-15-4 as the visiting club this year and is 3-2 on the road in the playoffs.
Marian Hossa and Johan Franzen each scored twice to help the Red Wings even the series Thursday at the Honda Center.
Mikael Samuelsson and Henrik Zetterberg also scored for Detroit. Valtteri Filppula had two assists, while Chris Osgood stopped 25 shots for the win.
"We feel good about the win," Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said. "We're now in a best-of-three. It's kind of what I expected coming into the series and now it's up for grabs. These are two good teams playing hard."
Corey Perry scored 42 seconds into the game, but Anaheim couldn't hang onto the lead and missed a chance to take a commanding cushion and move a step closer to knocking off another high-powered team. The Ducks beat top-seeded San Jose in the opening round of the playoffs before advancing to face the Red Wings.
Perry finished with two goals and an assist, while Scott Niedermayer also scored. Jonas Hiller gave up five goals on 33 shots and was pulled in the third period in favor of Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who stopped all six shots he faced. Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle would not say if Hiller or Giguere would get the start in Game 5.
Hiller is 6-4 with a 2.10 goals against average and .946 save percentage in the playoffs.
Ryan Getzlaf added a pair of assists for the Ducks, despite the fact that he was suffering from flu-like symptoms. The centerman didn't practice on Saturday, but is expected to play tonight. Getzlaf has 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists) to match Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby for second in this year's playoffs. He has also registered a point in eight straight games.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, have played this entire series without offensive defenseman Brian Rafalski, who is sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Rafalski is nearing a return to the ice, but will miss this evening's contest.
Detroit is trying to become the first club to repeat as Cup champions since the 1997 and '98 Red Wings claimed back-to-back crowns. This series also pits the last two Stanley Cup champions against each other, as the Ducks won it all in 2007 to earn the franchise's first-ever title.
The Red Wings and Ducks have met on four occasions in the postseason, with each team winning two series. Anaheim, however, has won the last two playoff encounters, including a six-game triumph over Detroit two years ago in the conference finals.
Detroit won three out of four against the Ducks during the 2008-09 regular season.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings will try to regain their lead in the Western Conference semifinals when they host the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 today at Joe Louis Arena.
The second-seeded Red Wings won Game 1 in Detroit, but were then handed setbacks in the following two games. However, the Red Wings avoided falling into a 3-1 series hole by posting a 6-3 decision Thursday in Anaheim to even the best-of-seven set at two games apiece.
Detroit had an excellent 27-9-5 record as the host this year and was 3-0 at home in the postseason before the Ducks won Game 2 in overtime. Anaheim, which will host Game 6 on Tuesday, was 22-15-4 as the visiting club this year and is 3-2 on the road in the playoffs.
Marian Hossa and Johan Franzen each scored twice to help the Red Wings even the series Thursday at the Honda Center.
Mikael Samuelsson and Henrik Zetterberg also scored for Detroit. Valtteri Filppula had two assists, while Chris Osgood stopped 25 shots for the win.
"We feel good about the win," Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said. "We're now in a best-of-three. It's kind of what I expected coming into the series and now it's up for grabs. These are two good teams playing hard."
Corey Perry scored 42 seconds into the game, but Anaheim couldn't hang onto the lead and missed a chance to take a commanding cushion and move a step closer to knocking off another high-powered team. The Ducks beat top-seeded San Jose in the opening round of the playoffs before advancing to face the Red Wings.
Perry finished with two goals and an assist, while Scott Niedermayer also scored. Jonas Hiller gave up five goals on 33 shots and was pulled in the third period in favor of Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who stopped all six shots he faced. Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle would not say if Hiller or Giguere would get the start in Game 5.
Hiller is 6-4 with a 2.10 goals against average and .946 save percentage in the playoffs.
Ryan Getzlaf added a pair of assists for the Ducks, despite the fact that he was suffering from flu-like symptoms. The centerman didn't practice on Saturday, but is expected to play tonight. Getzlaf has 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists) to match Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby for second in this year's playoffs. He has also registered a point in eight straight games.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, have played this entire series without offensive defenseman Brian Rafalski, who is sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Rafalski is nearing a return to the ice, but will miss this evening's contest.
Detroit is trying to become the first club to repeat as Cup champions since the 1997 and '98 Red Wings claimed back-to-back crowns. This series also pits the last two Stanley Cup champions against each other, as the Ducks won it all in 2007 to earn the franchise's first-ever title.
The Red Wings and Ducks have met on four occasions in the postseason, with each team winning two series. Anaheim, however, has won the last two playoff encounters, including a six-game triumph over Detroit two years ago in the conference finals.
Detroit won three out of four against the Ducks during the 2008-09 regular season.
