KEN PETERS AP Sports Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Detroit coach Mike Babcock said heading into Game 3 that the Red Wings hadn't really played their best game yet. Even he probably couldn't have expected a performance like Tuesday night's, when they overwhelmed the Anaheim Ducks 5-0. The victory gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals, with Game 4 set for Anaheim on Thursday night. “We didn't think we played in our two games at home,” Babcock said of the split in Detroit, both games decided by one goal. “We didn't think that we let our skill come out because we were slow, just grind, grind, grind. “We just felt that if we managed the puck better, played our position better, competed harder, we were going to have an opportunity.” The Red Wings certainly made a lot of opportunities for themselves in Game 3, putting together a fine all-around effort. Tomas Holmstrom finished with two goals, an assist and 13 stitches in his forehead. Valtteri Filppula had a goal and an assist, Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi scored, and Dominik Hasek made 29 saves for his second shutout of this year's playoffs and 14th of his career. Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg both chipped in with a pair of assists. Holmstrom scored in each of the first two periods as Detroit built a 4-0 lead. The Red Wings scored three times on 13 shots against Jean-Sebastien Giguere, and added two goals after Ilya Bryzgalov replaced him in the second period. Giguere wasn't upset at being pulled by coach Randy Carlyle. “Obviously, you could tell it wasn't my best effort out there. So you have to provoke something, and that's what he was trying to do,” Giguere said. “It's 3-0 at that time, so you've got to try something.” Holmstrom was happy to see the Red Wings have a breakout game. “I think we were successful with all the four lines going,” he said. “We started scoring from lots of guys, too. We had lots of speed. “We played a really, really solid hockey game.” Holmstrom left the game at 11:40 of the second period after the Ducks' Rob Niedermayer and Chris Pronger simultaneously slammed him into the glass. The Detroit forward, who lost the puck just before he was hit, spent several moments lying on the ice with the team's trainers tending to him. Holmstrom finally got up and went off to have two cuts on his forehead stitched up. He returned to start the third period and assisted on Detroit's final goal. Niedermayer drew a five-minute major for boarding and was ejected. None of the Red Wings, including Holmstrom, complained about the hit. He wasn't even sure what happened. “I got run into the boards, got hit again,” Holmstrom said. “I never saw the guy come from behind.” The medical staff made sure he didn't have a concussion. “Get stitched up, yeah, I was ready for the third,” Holmstrom said. Niedermayer was surprised by the call against him. “All I did was take a few strides, finish my check and hit him with my shoulder,” he said. “You don't want to see anybody hurt out there, that's for sure. I'm glad he was back playing.” The Red Wings failed to score on that lengthy man advantage and finished 1- for-9 overall on the power play. The 42-year-old Hasek logged the 90th shutout of his career, including regular season and playoff games. He had eight during this regular season. The loss was the most lopsided in the Ducks' playoff history. “They were obviously the better team tonight; simple as that,” Carlyle said. “They controlled the puck. There were far too many passes through the neutral ice. They came through there uncontested. That's not the style of hockey that we're capable of playing. “I'll talk to the team. We'll be judged by our effort on the next one. We can't do anything about this one.” The Ducks have lost only one other playoff game by a margin of more than three goals on April 23, 1999, when the Red Wings beat them 5-1 at Anaheim in Game 2 of the conference quarterfinals on the way to sweeping the series. Holmstrom scored his second goal of the game and fifth of this year's playoffs just 17 seconds after Bryzgalov entered the game. Holmstrom's first came on a power play when he beat Giguere with a 30-foot slap shot. Franzen opened the scoring 11:09 into the game, Holmstrom made it 2-0 late in the first period, then Bertuzzi widened the lead at 3:17 of the second. After Holmstrom scored again, Filppula wrapped it up with his goal midway through the third period.
