Red Wings blast Hurricanes with third-period punch

DETROIT -- Thirteen seconds showed why the Detroit Red Wings were so dominant during the season. It might be the 13 seconds that turn around the Stanley Cup finals.

The Red Wings, in danger of going down two games to one of the biggest underdogs in finals history, got goals from Nicklas Lidstrom and Kris Draper 13 seconds apart late in the third period to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 Thursday night and even the best-of-seven series.

Just as it seemed Carolina might force yet another overtime, where the Hurricanes are 7-1 this postseason, the Red Wings rediscovered the explosiveness that marked their Presidents' Trophy-winning season and made them such overwhelming favorites going into the finals.

Perhaps just in time, too, as a trend was beginning to develop. The Red Wings had lost three of their last four home playoff games, while Carolina had won six straight road games, including its 3-2 victory in Game 1 Tuesday.

Game 3 will be Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C., where until now the ACC basketball championship had been the biggest event around.

Repeatedly denied on excellent scoring chances for more than 50 minutes by determined Carolina goalie Arturs Irbe and 0-for-6 on the power play, the Red Wings finally took the lead when Lidstrom, their Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, one-timed Sergei Fedorov's pass over Irbe's glove and under the crossbar at 14:52.

Then, just after the ensuing faceoff, it was 3-1 as Draper skated down the left wing boards to beat Irbe at 15:05 for the second goal of the game by the Red Wings' checking line. Kirk Maltby put Detroit ahead 1-0 by scoring short-handed in the first period.

Game 2 began much like Game 1 with both teams frequently going on the power play with no results. Only this time, there was scoring -- by the team down a man.

For the first time since Game 1 of the Minnesota-Pittsburgh finals in 1991, each team scored short-handed in the Stanley Cup finals, and it represented the only scoring in the first two periods.