GotGibson?
Bench Warmer
Brian Rafalski, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Jiri Hudler scored, Chris Osgood posted his 14th NHL playoff shutout, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round Western Conference series.
Columbus hopes returning home will help Tuesday night when it hosts a playoff game for the first time in franchise history.
Barring a stunning turnaround, Detroit will become the first defending Stanley Cup champion to reach the second round since the Colorado Avalanche did it seven years ago.
The Red Wings have silenced Blue Jackets star Rick Nash, holding him pointless in two games, while making rookie goalie Steve Mason long for the success he had during the regular season.
Mason had an NHL-high 10 shutouts, the most by a rookie since Chicago's Tony Esposito during in the 1969-70 season, but he has given up four goals in his first two playoff games.
He made 35 saves in Game 2.
Osgood stopped 25 shots and moved into a fourth-place tie on the NHL's career postseason shutout list with former teammate Dominik Hasek, Ed Belfour and Jacques Plante.
The second-seeded Red Wings vowed to take the seventh-seeded Blue Jackets seriously before the series started.
It wasn't just talk.
Detroit knows what its like to lose in the first round as defending champions because it happened to the storied franchise in 2002.
The next four NHL champions -- New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Anaheim -- failed to put up much of a fight after hoisting the Cup.
The Devils, Lightning and Ducks all had first-round exits as defending champions and the Hurricanes didn't make it to the playoffs.
Despite the 4-1 score in Game 1, Columbus was competitive for much of the game.
The Blue Jackets hung around for about half of the first period before Detroit's talent, speed and toughness was too much for them.
Rafalski scored on the power play at 13:33 of the first period, Datsyuk scored on the power play midway through the second and Zetterberg's even-strength goal late in the second made it a 3-0 game.
In the third period, Hudler scored on a power play/ It was his second goal of the series.
Columbus hopes returning home will help Tuesday night when it hosts a playoff game for the first time in franchise history.
Barring a stunning turnaround, Detroit will become the first defending Stanley Cup champion to reach the second round since the Colorado Avalanche did it seven years ago.
The Red Wings have silenced Blue Jackets star Rick Nash, holding him pointless in two games, while making rookie goalie Steve Mason long for the success he had during the regular season.
Mason had an NHL-high 10 shutouts, the most by a rookie since Chicago's Tony Esposito during in the 1969-70 season, but he has given up four goals in his first two playoff games.
He made 35 saves in Game 2.
Osgood stopped 25 shots and moved into a fourth-place tie on the NHL's career postseason shutout list with former teammate Dominik Hasek, Ed Belfour and Jacques Plante.
The second-seeded Red Wings vowed to take the seventh-seeded Blue Jackets seriously before the series started.
It wasn't just talk.
Detroit knows what its like to lose in the first round as defending champions because it happened to the storied franchise in 2002.
The next four NHL champions -- New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Anaheim -- failed to put up much of a fight after hoisting the Cup.
The Devils, Lightning and Ducks all had first-round exits as defending champions and the Hurricanes didn't make it to the playoffs.
Despite the 4-1 score in Game 1, Columbus was competitive for much of the game.
The Blue Jackets hung around for about half of the first period before Detroit's talent, speed and toughness was too much for them.
Rafalski scored on the power play at 13:33 of the first period, Datsyuk scored on the power play midway through the second and Zetterberg's even-strength goal late in the second made it a 3-0 game.
In the third period, Hudler scored on a power play/ It was his second goal of the series.
