The first period of game three between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings ended in a scoreless tie despite solid chances and power play opportunities for both teams.
The period opened with a scary moment, as Viktor Stalberg went head-first into the boards on his first shift:
Stalberg had returned to the Blackhawks lineup to add some speed, but had to head to the dressing room right away after this nasty fall. After missing several minutes of action, he returned to the game and took a a few brief shifts.
Later in the period it was Dan Cleary's turn to take a bad fall, after Chicago's Brent Seabrook bumped him face-first into the net:
Cleary was okay, but the tone was set early and the first period was a physical, penalty-filled affair. Chicago killed off a Detroit power play late in the period, and that brought their successful PK streak up to 25 in a row. The Red Wings' penalty kill was also strong in the first, as they kept Chicago scoreless on two power play opportunities.
The shots were 15-9 in favor of the Blackhawks at the first intermission.
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