Playoffs - Sat, 18 May - Results

Detroit v Chicago 4-1 - Game 2 - Henrik Zetterberg might be in his first season as captain of the Detroit Red Wings, but he long has produced big games when his team has needed him the most. Zetterberg set up a pair of goals, including the game-winner, in a 4-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday at United Center. The best-of-7 series is tied 1-1, with Game 3 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Monday night. The Blackhawks dominated much of Game 1 and took a 1-0 lead Saturday despite being outplayed in the first period. Detroit coach Mike Babcock had hoped his team would be able to steal one of the first two games, and the Red Wings didn't miss an opportunity in a contest they clearly controlled. After a strong first period, the Red Wings were even better in the second and grabbed their first lead of the series. Damien Brunner tied the game 1-1 when he deflected a point shot from Jakub Kindl past Corey Crawford at 2:40. It was a team-leading fourth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for Brunner. Smith put Detroit in front late in the period. Zetterberg beat Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to the puck after Detroit forward Daniel Cleary chipped it toward the left corner. The Detroit captain put a pass through defenseman Duncan Keith's legs to Smith, who had fallen near the Blackhawks' bench when he sent the puck toward Cleary at the far wall but was able to skate back into the play and finish the one-timer with 3:52 to go for his second goal of the playoffs. Johan Franzen pushed Detroit's lead to 3-1 a little more than seven minutes into the third period. The Red Wings did not have a shot in the period, but seconds after Justin Abdelkader had the first, Franzen scored on the second at 7:19. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson sent a pass from his own blue line to Franzen, who snuck behind the defense at the far blue line then snapped a shot under the crossbar for his fourth of the postseason to tie Brunner for the team lead. It was Franzen's first even-strength goal in the postseason after three power-play goals against the Anaheim Ducks in the opening round. Valtteri Filppula made it 4-1 at 12:03 of the third period. Chicago's Dave Bolland won a faceoff at the right circle in the Detroit end, but Zetterberg chipped the puck past defenseman Brent Seabrook and started a 3-on-2. Zetterberg sent the puck to Filppula in the middle of the ice, and he backhanded a shot past Crawford despite falling to the ice after being tripped just before he shot it.

It was Filppula's second goal of the postseason. Zetterberg has 10 points in the playoffs, which puts him in a tie for fourth in the League. Zetterberg had 10 points in the final four games of the regular season, each a Detroit win, as the Red Wings secured a playoff berth on the final day. He had five points in two elimination games to help the Red Wings upset the second-seeded Ducks in seven games. He added two Saturday. Chicago forward Patrick Kane had the lone goal of the first period, his first of this postseason. Patrick Sharp chased down the puck after tipping it near center ice, and the Blackhawks had a quick 3-on-2 develop. Sharp tried to send the puck across to Kane on the right wing, but the pass was deflected. It went to Michael Handzus, who shuffled it to Kane for a one-timer at 14:05. The Red Wings played better in the first period than they had in Game 1, but the Blackhawks went to the intermission with the lead. In a reversal of Game 1, which was even for the first period before the Blackhawks dominated the final two, the Red Wings seized control with a strong second and kept up the pressure in the third. The Blackhawks appeared frustrated at times and were never able to mount much of a sustained push like they did in a 4-1 victory in Game 1 on Wednesday night. This was Detroit's first win against Chicago in nine tries, and the Red Wings' first in regulation since April 2011, the Blackhawks were on a 9-0-2 run against their rivals.

Los Angeles v San Jose 1-2 - Game 3 - It was early in the second period Saturday night when San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture slammed into the boards awkwardly after a battle with the Los Angeles Kings' Jeff Carter. Couture limped off the ice and headed to the dressing room, where he joined teammate Martin Havlat, who reinjured himself in the first period. The Sharks and Kings were tied 1-1 in Game 3 of their Western Conference Semifinal series, but the Sharks were down two players, including Couture, their rising star. They appeared on their way to going down 3-0 in the series. But Couture rejoined his teammates on the bench with 1:33 left in the period, giving the Sharks a huge emotional boost. He gave them an even bigger left when he scored a power-play goal 1:29 into overtime to give the Sharks a crucial 2-1 victory. Couture took a pass from Patrick Marleau in the slot and roofed San Jose's 40th shot of the night past goaltender Jonathan Quick. The Sharks can get even in the series by winning Game 4 on Tuesday night at HP Pavilion (10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN, RDS). Couture's goal came 11 seconds after a 5-on-3 power play expired. Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr was called for hooking Tommy Wingels in the Los Angeles zone with 42 seconds left in regulation, and Trevor Lewis was penalized for goaltender interference after running over Antti Niemi with five seconds left. Regehr had left the penalty box, but Lewis had 26 seconds left on his penalty when Couture scored. It was the 19th overtime game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring and the fifth to be decided by a power-play goal. Kings forward Dustin Penner took issue with the call on Lewis, who was battling with Marleau while racing for the net when he crashed into Niemi.

The Kings beat the Sharks 4-3 in Game 2 at Staples Center, scoring two power play goals in a 22-second span, including one with a 5-on-3 advantage. Until Couture's game-winner, the game had been a goaltending duel. Niemi, a Vezina Trophy finalist, made 26 saves and allowed just one goal after allowing a combined six in the first two games. Quick, who gave up three goals in Game 2 after shutting out the Sharks in Game 1, was back in top form and made 38 saves. The Sharks and Kings were deadlocked 1-1 entering the third period, with both goals coming in the first. Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle opened the scoring with a power-play blast from the blue line 1:34 after the opening faceoff, and Kings forward Tyler Toffoli capitalized on a turnover to beat Niemi on a backhander from the slot at 10:08. After that, Quick and Niemi went save for save as the tension built at HP Pavilion. With 5:16 left in regulation, the Sharks went on a power play when Kings captain Dustin Brown slashed forward Joe Pavelski. But the Sharks, who scored their first power-play goal of the series when Boyle connected early in the first, didn't get a shot on goal. They managed very little during the 5-on-3 advantage before Couture's game-winner during the 5-on-4. Boyle gave the Sharks an early lead four seconds after the Sharks got a power play after Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin was called for delay of game after flipping the puck over the glass in the Kings' end. Pavelski won the faceoff with Anze Kopitar in the right circle, sending the puck back to Marleau. He hit Boyle near the blue line, and Boyle beat Quick with a one-timer, sending the puck over his right shoulder with Joe Thornton screening. Toffoli, a 21-year-old rookie, answered with his first career playoff goal midway through the period by making Stuart pay for an awful giveaway deep in San Jose's zone. Stuart was below the right circle when he took a pass from Niemi, only to put the puck right on the stick of Toffoli, who beat Niemi with a backhander from the slot. Kings rookie Tanner Pearson made his NHL debut, skating on the fourth line in place of Jordan Nolan.