By Ray Van Horn, Jr. Copyright 1999
 

Detroit
Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings remained supreme for the second game in a row in the Western Conference quarterfinals over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, slapping them with a 5-1 loss.

Intent on humiliating the Ducks early in the game, the Red Wings tallied a four goal fiesta in the first period. Guy Hebert, showing a bit of rust from his head injury in Game 1, made a slew of impressive saves throughout the game, but he collapsed under the bombardment by Detroit's deadly dual offensive lines in the early going.

Brendan Shanahan wasted no time as he scored on the first minute mark of the game. Steve Yzerman and Sergei Federov picked up assists as Federov made a wraparound attempt, but an unchecked Shanahan slipped in for the kill on Federov's rebound.

Shanahan claimed the next score as he rifled a power play goal at 10:24. Then he figured an assist on Detroit's next goal. Slithering casually through the frustrated Anaheim defense, Shanahan fed the puck to Tomas Holstrom, who nudged it in at 13:48.

The bewildered Anaheim defensemen faltered again, allowing Sergei Federov to duplicate Shanahan's effortless weaving, as he assisted Doug Brown to a power play netter at 19:!7 of the first, mercifully ending a debacle of a period for the Mighty Ducks.

The disheartened Ducks actually picked up their hitting game, but granted the Wings their third power play goal of the evening at 9:42 of the second period. Matthew Dandenault fired a slap shot that was deflected past Guy Hebert by the red-hot Steve Yzerman.

Anaheim, at first unable to get some shots off, finally managed to unleash a barrage, but Detroit's Chris Osgood refused to allow them passage, blocking 23 shots through the first two periods.

Osgood finally yielded a power play score to Teemu Selanne at 9:11 of the third, who was given a gift pass from his partner-in-crime, Paul Kariya. The two had been shut down by the Wings for most of the night prior to the goal. Matt Cullen was also given an assist. Jeers go to the fickle crowd at Joe Louis Arena, who, unappeased by their team's drubbing of the opposition, booed Osgood for relinquishing the potential shutout.

As the Ducks drop to a 2-0 series deficit, they head home after being manhandled by a thus far superior Red Wings squad. For Anaheim, it is gut check time in lieu of dropping out of the playoffs early, after having a landmark franchise season.