Mon May 12 23:06:53 2008

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Datsyuk leads Red Wings to 3-0 series lead

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Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Pavel Datsyuk recorded his first career playoff hat trick as the Detroit Red Wings took a commanding three games to none series lead with a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals at American Airlines Center.

Henrik Zetterberg added a goal and two assists for the Red Wings, who are one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since winning the title in 2002.

Chris Osgood made 16 saves in the victory to remain perfect in the postseason.

The 35-year-old netminder has won nine consecutive playoff games -- all this season -- tying his own franchise record set from the tail end of the 1998 and start of the 1999 playoffs.

Nicklas Grossman and Brad Richards hit the net for the Stars, who look to stave off elimination in Game 4 in Dallas on Wednesday.

Marty Turco turned aside only 16-of-21 shots in defeat.

Zetterberg's short-handed goal 1:38 into the third which put Detroit ahead 4-2 was a crippling blow to Dallas, which failed to convert on a pair of early man advantages in the period.

Datsyuk provided the exclamation point with 2:41 left in regulation with a little help from both sides.

Stars defenseman Matt Niskanen had trouble moving a puck off the boards behind his net, and Zetterberg swooped in to forecheck. He stole the disc, stickhandled through four defenders in the right circle before finding Datsyuk alone in the slot for his eighth goal this playoff year.

Dallas could only muster four shots on goal in the final 20 minutes, leaving the club one game from the end of its season.

Wings forward Johan Franzen, the NHL's leading playoff goal-scorer with 12 markers, did not play for the second straight game due to concussion-like symptoms. His absence did little to slow down the visitors.

The Wings got on the board just before the midway point of the first period in a 4-on-4. Brian Rafalski took a feed in the neutral zone and fed to Zetterberg, who chipped over to Datsyuk on the left side for a backhander which tipped off the left post and in.

Grossman tied the game with 4:47 left in the period, one-timing Mike Modano's cross-ice feed, but the Wings struck back only 37 seconds later with Datsyuk's second of the game.

The Stars knotted the game at the 3:47 mark of the second, when Richards tried a centering pass but the puck deflected off a Detroit defender in the crease and bounced through Osgood.

Jiri Hudler's breakaway tally with 8:06 left in the period put the Wings on top once more, and Detroit nursed the lead to intermission.

Game Notes

In their history, Detroit has wasted a 3-0 series lead only once, a seven-game loss to Toronto in the 1942 Cup finals...Conversely, the Minnesota/Dallas franchise has never advanced beyond a Game 5 after losing the first three in a best-of-seven series...Zetterberg has 14 points in his last eight games (7G, 7A) and now leads the playoffs with 18 points...The Stars played without defensive forward Jere Lehtinen (leg) and Stu Barnes (concussion)...Modano briefly left the game late in the second period with an undisclosed injury after taking a hit from Wings forward Kris Draper, but returned in the third...Dallas captain Brenden Morrow left the game midway through the third period after falling hard on his right arm after absorbing a check and skated one shift for the remainder of the contest...Neither team connected on nine combined power-play chances.