Gustav Nyquist scored on a power play 1:21 into overtime, allowing the Detroit Red Wings to escape Game 2 with a series split against the Anaheim Ducks.
It should not have required such an escape. The Ducks tried to hand the game to Detroit by allowing goals at the beginning of each regulation period. The Red Wings twice had three-goal leads in this game. But the Ducks woke up in time to make this interesting.
Justin Abdelkader opened scoring with a goal just 48 seconds into the first period. After Damien Brunner scored under four minutes later to make it 2-0, Johan Franzen knocked in a rebound on a power play just 1:04 into the second period.
Franzen's goal took advantage of Daniel Winnik's loss of his stick. Already shorthanded, the Ducks forward drifted back into the play and finally decided to hit Franzen ... after Franzen had scored:
After Saku Koivu got one back on the power play to make it 3-1 at the second intermission, Franzen scored again 20 seconds into the third period to re-open a three goal lead.
But seven minutes later, the Ducks' massive comeback began. It was powered by goals from Ryan Getzlaf, Kyle Palmieri and Bobby Ryan, the last one coming with just 2:22 left in regulation.
And it was all for naught.
Veteran defenseman Sheldon Souray took a slashing penalty with 38 seconds left in regulation. Cruelly, in regulation and in overtime, the Ducks killed 1:59 of the 2:00 power play. Nyquist's goal came on a beauty of a feed from Valtteri Filppula:
Though he didn't figure in the winning goal, Pavel Datsyuk appeared on the scoresheet with two assists. He also produced this beauty of a defensive play, sprinting off the bench to save what would have been a likely goal for Palmieri:
The victory sends the Red Wings home to Detroit with a crucial series split. The teams play Game 3 Saturday.
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