When you have as few scoring chances as the Ducks had Sunday, their close chances that didn’t go in hurt as much as their 3-games-to-2 deficit in the series.

Ultimately, the Ducks weren’t passing and shooting crisply enough to give up 39 shots and take only 16 of their own. They were still on their heels in the second period, 39 seconds after Johan Franzen scored to make it 1-0, when the Red Wings stole a puck in the neutral zone, starting a rush that Jiri Hudler finished with another goal. That was all Detroit would need.

Ryan Whitney got his first goal of the playoffs, a one-timer from the left faceoff circle, at 15:37 of the middle period to make it 2-1. Erik Christensen had a golden opportunity to make it 2-2 a minute later, but Chris Osgood stuck his glove out and Christensen couldn’t lift it up and in to a wide-open net.

Christensen, seeing his first action of the series, had another opportunity denied later in the third period, and Darren Helm answered on the other end with his first goal of the playoffs to make it 3-1 with 3:08 left. Henrik Zetterberg scored an empty-netter to provide the final score for the second straight game.