NHL Playoffs | Wings get pretty ugly win

DETROIT — Beauty is in the eye of the winner.

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Anaheim Ducks in the opener of the Western Conference finals with two ugly power-play goals that looked awfully good to them.

Tomas Holmstrom scored with 4:54 left in regulation after a shot hit him standing in front of goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere before it dropped to the ice and trickled into the net, giving Detroit a 2-1 victory Friday night.

"We had traffic," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "It was a good goal."

Nicklas Lidstrom, whose shot was deflected by Holmstrom, was a little more honest.

"It was kind of a lucky break for us," said Lidstrom, who had two assists.

Detroit was fortunate to score the game's first goal, too.

Henrik Zetterberg's shot — that appeared to be a pass — deflected off Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin and got past Giguere at 3:44 of the first period.

"I believe in this game you create the bounces that go for you," Giguere said.

Both of Detroit's goals were last touched by Beauchemin, who swiped at the winner in the crease after it hit Holmstrom.

"That's a freak thing that happens and it happened to us," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "We'll move on."

Game 2 is Sunday night in Detroit before the series shifts to Anaheim.

Chris Kunitz made it 1-all early in the third period with a shot from the slot that beat Dominik Hasek on the glove side. It was the first goal Hasek gave up in nearly 157 minutes.

With two stellar goaltenders and four Norris Trophy winners — combining to be honored as the NHL's top defenseman nine times — it was a low-scoring game as expected.

Shortly after Holmstrom's goal, Anaheim had a chance to tie the score again on a power play and it pulled Giguere to make it a two-man advantage, but the Ducks couldn't score.

Hasek made 31 saves and Giguere stopped 17 shots.

Anaheim is in the conference finals for the third time in four postseasons, more than any team since 2003. Detroit, meanwhile, is among the final four in the league for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2002.