DETROIT — Dan Cleary matched a playoff career high with two goals against the team that drafted him, leading the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings to a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals Sunday at Joe Louis Arena.
Cleary was drafted 13th overall by the Blackhawks in 1997, but had just nine points in 41 games before being traded to Edmonton.
“I wasn’t in Chicago very long, so no hard feelings,” he said, joking.
Detroit goalie Chris Osgood made 30 saves and Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 38 shots for the Blackhawks, who allowed an empty-net goal to Henrik Zetterberg.
Adam Burish gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead 5:25 in, but Cleary tied it about three minutes later. Johan Franzen put Detroit in front 2-1 late in the second period.
“We got a lesson,” said Chicago coach Joel Quenneville. “We’ve got to be better.”
If the Blackhawks are going to have a chance, they likely will need young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to produce. They were held without a point in the opener.
Kane was shotless Sunday and Toews had three shots. Both players were on the ice for three of Detroit’s goals.
The Blackhawks, playing in their first conference finals since 1995 against a team in its third straight, were very competitive with the Red Wings until Detroit broke it open midway through the third period.
The fourth-seeded Blackhawks fell behind in each of their six games the previous round against Vancouver, but found out it is not as easy to rally against the second-seeded and playoff-tested Red Wings.
“It’s a race to four wins, but it’s good to get the first one,” said Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom.
Chicago 1 0 1 — 2
Detroit 1 1 3 — 5
First period — 1, Chicago, Burish 3, 5:25. 2, Detroit, Cleary 4, 8:23.
Penalties — Seabrook, Chi (hooking), 13:12; Keith, Chi (roughing), 14:00; Holmstrom, Det (roughing), 14:00.
Second period — 3, Detroit, Franzen 9, 16:38. Penalties — Ladd, Chi (tripping), 3:15.
Third period — 4, Chicago, Versteeg 4 (By-fuglien, Seabrook), 3:12 (pp). 5, Detroit, Samuelsson 4 (Lebda, Filppula), 7:31. 6, Detroit, Cleary 5 (Franzen, Zetterberg), 8:58. 7, Detroit, Zetterberg 7 (Franzen, Stuart), 19:17 (en). Penalties — Ericsson, Det (interference), 1:28; Brou-wer, Chi (roughing), 10:21; Franzen, Det (roughing), 10:21; Burish, Chi, double minor (cross-checking), 19:38.
Shots on goal — Chicago 9-10-13 — 32. Detroit 15-14-14 — 43. Power-play opportunities — Chicago 1 of 1; Detroit 0 of 3. Goalies — Chicago, Khabibulin 8-5-0 (42 shots-38 saves). Detroit, Osgood 9-3-0 (32-30).
Attendance — 20,066 (20,066). T — 2:28.
