Detroit Gets Off to Strong Start

Red Wings 3, Flames 1

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings got off to a better start than they did in Game 1.

That was bad news for the Calgary Flames.

Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom scored within the first 4 minutes Sunday and Detroit went on to beat Calgary 3-1, taking a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

Game 3 is Tuesday night at Calgary.

The Flames can only hope returning home -- where they won an NHL-high 30 games during the regular season -- will help them slow the Western Conference's top-seeded team.

Detroit led 2-0 early in the first period for the second straight game, scoring two goals even quicker than the 81/2 minutes it took Thursday night.

Unlike in the previous game, Detroit didn't add two unanswered goals in the second period en route to a 4-1 victory.

Calgary's Dion Phaneuf scored early in the second period on a shot that was deflected and fluttered past Dominik Hasek's glove.

The Flames went into the third within a goal because of the key score and Miikka Kiprusoff's 33 saves through two periods.

It didn't take long for the Red Wings to get their two-goal cushion back.

Six minutes into the final period, Detroit rookie Valtteri Filppula followed up his goal-scoring debut in the playoffs with a shot off a rebound.

Hasek needed to make only 14 saves after facing just 20 in Game 1.

At the other end, the Red Wings kept Kiprusoff busy -- again.

Kiprusoff turned away 21 shots in the first period alone and finished with 48 saves, including one with his mask late in the second period when Henrik Zetterberg stunned him with a slap shot. He faced 46 shots in the series opener.

Perhaps the only difference between the first period of Games 1 and 2 was the Flames landed the first big hit.

Calgary center Stephane Yelle knocked Kirk Maltby on his first shift only to be lose any potential momentum 1:02 into the game when Datsyuk's wrist shot went over Kiprusoff's blocker.

The Red Wings had a 5-on-3 advantage a couple minutes later and capitalized when Mathieu Schneider knocked down a clearing attempt and set up Lidstrom for his second goal of the series.

Calgary had five penalties in the first 8:13 before the officials closed the period by calling the Red Wings for four penalties.

Detroit outshot Calgary 23-8 in the first period and 12-3 in the second, but led by only a goal.

After Kiprusoff kicked away a shot from the right circle -- Detroit's 39th -- he couldn't stop Filppula's slap shot from the left circle.

Notes: Calgary D Robyn Regehr and F Jeff Friesen were in the lineup after missing Game 1 with injuries, but Regehr didn't play in the third period because of a leg injury. ... Detroit F Todd Bertuzzi was out again, but hopes to play Tuesday night. ... Datsyuk scored two goals in the first four periods of the series after going 26 playoff games without a goal. ... Flames star Jarome Iginla, shadowed by Lidstrom, has no points and two shots in the series. ... The Red Wings were thankful the Detroit Tigers didn't have a weather-delayed game or play extra innings in a 2-1 loss at Toronto because the Mike Ilitch-owned teams share the same plane. The Red Wings were to board the plane as soon as the Tigers got off it. ... Michigan State's national championship hockey team was cheered on the ice as they were honored during the first intermission.