Zetterberg scores double as Detroit extend series lead
Swedish star Henrik Zetterberg netted two goals as the Detroit Red Wings completed a 6-1 rout of the Chicago Blackhawks to extend a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference final series.
Forward Marian Hossa also scored two goals for defending champions Detroit, which moved within one win of a return trip to the Stanley Cup finals.
"We tried to keep our poise," Zetterberg said. "We knew they were coming."
The Red Wings played without two of their star players, Russian Pavel Datsyuk and Swedish captain Nicklas Lidström.
"We heard this morning during the pre-game meal he (Lidstrom) was not playing. We just had to deal with it," Zetterberg said. "Everybody had to step up and play."
Detroit can advance to the finals against either Pittsburgh or Carolina with a win at home on Wednesday.
Even more troubling for the Blackhawks is they had to play without their top scorer Martin Havlat and No. 1 goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. It showed on Sunday as Khabibulin's backup Cristobal Huet struggled allowing five goals on 21 shots and was pulled in the second period before being put back in for the third.
Detroit's Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin combined for 27 saves. Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen also scored for the Red Wings.
Detroit scored at seemingly every turn on Sunday, getting a short-handed goal and three off the power play.
Six-time Norris Trophy winner (best defenceman) Lidström sat out with an undisclosed injury while a sore foot prevented Datsyuk from playing for the second consecutive game.
The game turned rough as the referees gave Chicago 56 minutes in penalty to just 14 for Detroit.
"You know, they scored, it's 3-0. They (the refs) ruined a good hockey game and absolutely destroyed what was going on on the ice," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
The Chicago players were still angry on Sunday over Detroit's Niklas Kronwall's vicious hit on Havlat in the last game. In the game Kronwall charged across the ice, jumped and hit Havlat with a forearm smash to the head that knocked the Blackhawk out.
Havlat tried to play on Sunday but lasted just eight minutes before heading to the dressing room.
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Forward Marian Hossa also scored two goals for defending champions Detroit, which moved within one win of a return trip to the Stanley Cup finals.
"We tried to keep our poise," Zetterberg said. "We knew they were coming."
The Red Wings played without two of their star players, Russian Pavel Datsyuk and Swedish captain Nicklas Lidström.
"We heard this morning during the pre-game meal he (Lidstrom) was not playing. We just had to deal with it," Zetterberg said. "Everybody had to step up and play."
Detroit can advance to the finals against either Pittsburgh or Carolina with a win at home on Wednesday.
Even more troubling for the Blackhawks is they had to play without their top scorer Martin Havlat and No. 1 goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. It showed on Sunday as Khabibulin's backup Cristobal Huet struggled allowing five goals on 21 shots and was pulled in the second period before being put back in for the third.
Detroit's Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin combined for 27 saves. Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen also scored for the Red Wings.
Detroit scored at seemingly every turn on Sunday, getting a short-handed goal and three off the power play.
Six-time Norris Trophy winner (best defenceman) Lidström sat out with an undisclosed injury while a sore foot prevented Datsyuk from playing for the second consecutive game.
The game turned rough as the referees gave Chicago 56 minutes in penalty to just 14 for Detroit.
"You know, they scored, it's 3-0. They (the refs) ruined a good hockey game and absolutely destroyed what was going on on the ice," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
The Chicago players were still angry on Sunday over Detroit's Niklas Kronwall's vicious hit on Havlat in the last game. In the game Kronwall charged across the ice, jumped and hit Havlat with a forearm smash to the head that knocked the Blackhawk out.
Havlat tried to play on Sunday but lasted just eight minutes before heading to the dressing room.
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