Red Wings take Game One

DETROIT (AP) - Dan Cleary was close to being an ex-NHL player
when the league emerged from the lockout four years ago.
The Detroit Red Wings gave him another shot. The gritty forward
took advantage, and the defending Stanley Cup champions are glad he
did.
Cleary matched a playoff career high with two goals against the
team that drafted him, leading the Red Wings to a 5-2 win over the
Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on
Sunday.
"I came here as a tryout," he said. "They gave me a chance to
be a player."
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Detroit.
Cleary was drafted 13th overall by the Blackhawks in 1997, but
had just nine points in 41 games before being traded to Edmonton.
"I wasn't in Chicago very long, so no hard feelings," he
joked.
Cleary signed with the Red Wings in 2005, and after a 15-point
season he recorded 40 points each of the past three seasons to
surpass his previous high of 35.
"He was a dynamic player as a 16-year-old," Detroit coach Mike
Babcock said. "It just happened too quick for him and he wasn't
able to handle it emotionally. He bounced around.
"We happened to get him at the right time. He came in with the
right attitude and started working."
In the previous round against Anaheim, Cleary scored the
series-winning goal with 3 minutes left in Game 7 and has netted a
career-high five goals this postseason. Cleary scored twice in a
playoff game last year against the Ducks.
"He's a dangerous guy," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
Cleary's second goal came midway through the third period, 1:27
after Mikael Samuelsson's go-ahead score for the Red Wings.
Detroit's Chris Osgood made 30 saves, and Nikolai Khabibulin
stopped 38 shots for the Blackhawks, who allowed an empty-net goal
to Henrik Zetterberg.
Adam Burish gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead 5:25 in, but Cleary
tied it a few minutes later. Johan Franzen put Detroit in front 2-1
late in the second period.
"We got a lesson," Quenneville said. "We've got to be
better."
If the Blackhawks are going to have a chance, they'll likely
need young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to produce. They
were held without a point in the opener.
Kane was shotless Sunday. Toews had three shots, and both
players were on the ice for three of Detroit's goals.
"They kind of collapsed on me," Kane said. "So, I was trying
to find the open guys a little more. I definitely have to try to
find a way to get some shots."
The Blackhawks, playing in their first conference final since
1995 against a team in its third straight, were very competitive
with the Red Wings until Detroit broke it open midway through the
third period.
Kris Versteeg made it 2-all early in the third on the power
play. The Red Wings have given up a man-advantage goal in a
franchise-record 10 straight playoff games.
"We had to keep the streak alive," Babcock joked.
Samuelsson's goal at 7:31 of the third put Detroit ahead and
Cleary's second goal provided a two-goal cushion.
The fourth-seeded Blackhawks fell behind in each of their six
games the previous round against Vancouver, but found out it is not
as easy to rally against the second-seeded and playoff-tested Red
Wings.
Detroit improved to 7-0 when leading after two periods.
"It's a race to four wins, but it's good to get the first
one," Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said.