Wings Turn Tables on Defensive Ducks

Normally, it's the Anaheim Ducks keeping everything on the perimeter. Most of the time, they're the ones that are making life miserable for opposing forwards who are trying to get to the net.

Sunday evening, it was the Detroit Red Wings turning the tables on their Western Conference semifinal opponents. Detroit put on a stirring display of puck possession and unending grit, and they got two late goals to put away the Ducks in a game that was not nearly as close as the final score will indicate.

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For most of this game, the scoreboard said Anaheim was a legitimate threat. The scoreboard was the only entity at Joe Louis Arena that took such a thought seriously. Detroit destroyed any chance the Ducks may have had by simply keeping them far, far away from Chris Osgood.

At one point more than midway through the second period, shots were 22-5 in Detroit's favor. They ended 38-17. The Ducks had a couple nice chances while the score was still 2-1, but Detroit had the puck, and Jonas Hiller was the one feeling the heat.

Eventually, Detroit simply wore down the Ducks, who are not as deep at any position, really.

Hiller is certainly not to blame for the recent woes of this team. He's made some great saves over the last two games, and he was the only reason that this stayed a one-goal game until the final minutes.

The Ducks have to reach down over the next 48 hours and find as much energy as they can muster. The Wings have easily been the better team in the last two games, and you could argue that they were the better team -- only to be victimized by an outstanding Hiller -- in the two games Anaheim won. If the Ducks can't match Detroit's energy level in Game 6 Tuesday night, they stand little chance of withstanding Detroit's game.

When Anaheim is on, they're a terrible matchup for Detroit because of how their physical style can wear on smaller teams. However, with the Ducks seemingly a little bit off their game, the Wings can wear down their opponents by using the puck to put constant pressure on them in the defensive zone.