Ducks shut out Detroit Red Wings, 4-0, in Game 3

DETROIT — Controversy was bound to appear at some stage of this tightly contested playoff series, and it showed up at Joe Louis Arena late in the second period in Game 3.

It came in the form of a crushing hit by Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader on Ducks defenseman Toni Lydman, driving a woozy Lydman from the game and leading to Abdelkader’s ejection.

Talk about the definition of a game changer.

BOX SCORE: Ducks 4, Detroit 0

The Ducks’ Nick Bonino scored 18 seconds into the five-minute major penalty for charging assessed to Abdelkader, breaking open a scoreless game, and Anaheim did not look back, beating Detroit, 4-0, on Saturday night.

Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf assisted on Bonino’s goal. Later he stripped the puck from Damien Brunner and gave the Ducks a huge lift with his unassisted shorthanded goal, at 6:33 of the third period. Also scoring in the third was rookie Emerson Etem — his first playoff goal — and Matt Beleskey, on the power play.

“It was a great goal, that’s what the captain does for you,” Bonino said, of Getzlaf’s breakaway. “He lifts the team. It was great. Amazing play, just one on four and he makes that play and scores.”

Said Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau: “When you’ve got a 1-0 game and you get that second goal in a tight checking game, it means the world. He’s done that so many times for us, this year. Especially on the heels of me giving him [grief] about the penalty kill last night, he goes out there and scores the goal.”

Anaheim leads the Western Conference quarterfinal series, two games to one. Game 4 is here Monday night. It was the Ducks first playoff shutout against the Red Wings, and third career playoff shutout by Jonas Hiller, who faced 23 shots and survived 5 minutes and 20 seconds of power-play time by Detroit in the first period.

“We won one game and we lost one in OT. We knew it was going to be a tough series,” said Hiller. “We didn’t think we were going to walk through, four-nothing.”

Conventional wisdom will suggest that Abdelkader will be communicating with the NHL’s chief disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan on Sunday and could face supplementary discipline in the form of a suspension. Lydman, who did a superb job anchoring the penalty-killing unit, immediately went to the dressing room after the hit and did not return.

“Right now, he’s got a headache … he’s not feeling like celebrating right now,” Boudreau said. “I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know how long he’s going to be out. You know, I’d love to see him on the ice tomorrow, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

The often outspoken Ducks were anything but, about the hit. If Lydman is out, Sheldon Souray, a healthy scratch for Game 3, would probably return.

“Shanahan’s question, not mine,” Getzlaf said. “Sorry guys. That’s got nothing to do with me. If I had an opinion that mattered, I’d give it to you. But my opinion doesn’t. We just wait and see.”

Ducks General Manager Bob Murray, who was stopped briefly outside the dressing room, made a suggestion: “You guys can comment on it.”

Abdelkader’s linemate Henrik Zetterberg did not think the hit should result in a suspension. Said Detroit Coach Mike Babcock called it playoff hockey, saying: “To me, it was a hard check.”

The hit on Lydman may have been the turning point, but the Ducks stayed resolute when the Red Wings had power play after power play in the first period.

“It was really intense,” Bonino said. “The crowd … you grow up looking at Joe Louis, rocking ‘Hockeytown’ every night. It definitely affects you. They get in your head, and they’re loud. I think we did a good job blocking them out.”

Bonino’s goal changed everything.

“We had to stay calm, and those are things that can rattle a team as well,” Getzlaf said. “Especially when we’re going out there for a five-minute power play. Those are the things that can turn hockey games.”

lisa.dillman@latimes.com