SECOND PERIOD

Highlight Reel: Nobody is helping Hebert much in front of his goal, but when Brendan Shanahan skates into the crease from the goalie’s left, the Ducks’ Ruslan Salei is there to lower his shoulder and pop Shanahan like a linebacker nailing an unsuspecting wide receiver crossing the middle. Problem is Shanahan is knocked skates-over-teakettle, and a blade catches Hebert in the head, knocking him down for the count. And out for the game.

What You Won’t Find in the Box Score: Detroit goalie Chris Osgood is vulnerable to long shots, but this is ridiculous. The Ducks are treating the ice in front of Osgood as if it’s mined. They have 22 shots through two periods and few have come anywhere near Mr. Osgood’s neighborhood, meaning he gets long-distance looks at most of them. NHL axiom: If a goalie can see a shot, he stops it.

Winning Number: Yzerman makes it 3-1 on a goal only 31 seconds into the period, the product of a penalty on the Ducks’ Jeff Nielsen. The Red Wings are no slouches at this power-play business either, finishing 11th in the NHL and improving five spots in the closing weeks of the season after adding Chris Chelios to the unit.

Wrong Number: Here’s Hebert’s backup, Tom Askey, who got into town at 5 o’clock after Dominic Roussel came down with flu. And here’s Askey’s playoff record: 0-3, with a 4.79 goals-against average, and that’s with Baltimore of the American Hockey League two years ago. Detroit sets a world land-speed record in hammering Askey with shots, finally scoring on Doug Brown’s. This isn’t Baltimore, Toto.