commentary...

the Red Wings played a near-perfect defensive game,not allowing the Ducks too many chances to score,from in close to Red Wings' goaltender Jimmy Howard,but the Ducks were a scrappy bunch,and refused to quit,but honestly,the Red Wings' team defense was greatly improved over game six,in which the Ducks scored twice,in fifty one seconds,to get to a tie,late in third period,and then lost in overtime... now for the basics:Henrik Zetterberg scored in the first two minutes of the game to put Anaheim behind the eight-ball very early,1-0,and then the Ducks tied the game on a nice goal,by Emerson Etem,about eleven minutes later,but then an errant pass allowed Justin Abdelkader to swoop in on Ducks' goaltender Jonas Hiller,on a breakaway,for a short-handed goal that basically took the wind away from the crowd,and the Ducks,until almost the last five minutes of the game... the Red Wings scored what turned out to be the game winning goal,13:45,into the second period,by Valtteri Flippula,to increase their lead in the game to 3-1,after two periods,and the Red Wings played near-perfect defense,until Red Wings' captain Henrik Zetterberg put puck into crowd for delay of game,and a power play,for the Ducks,that ended with a goal by Francois Beauchemin,that went off Jonathan Ericcson's skate,behind Jimmy Howard,to close within 3-2,but the Ducks could not get any closer,as the Red Wings played smothering team defense the last few minutes of the game,as the Red Wings clamped down with very good team defense,in front of Howard,as the Red Wings won best of seven series,four games to three... the Red Wings advance to the second round,where they play the President's Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks,in an Original Six matchup... the Blackhawks won all four games,in a very tough,and tight series(one game went into overtime,and one was decided in a shootout)...