Red Wings Capitalize on Fatal OT Error

It's not a death blow by any means, but the Chicago Blackhawks are firmly behind the eight-ball, and they have all the pressure on them.

Tuesday night, a huge mistake by Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell set Detroit up for a game-winning goal. The overtime marker by Mikael Samuelsson put Detroit up 2-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

Red Wings 3, Blackhawks 2, OT: Recap | Box Score
Red Wings lead series 2-0

Chicago's defeat can't be solely placed at Campbell's feet. However, his turnover at the Detroit blue line did launch the Wings' game-winning three-on-one. It wasn't a very good turnover. A cardinal sin against a good transition team like Detroit is not getting the puck deep. It burned Chicago on a Dan Cleary goal in the second period that gave Detroit the lead, and it scorched them in overtime.

Instead of making the easy play to get the puck in deep, Campbell tried to move it across the blue line for a scoring chance. He had nowhere to go, but clearly didn't realize that.

The Blackhawks -- as a whole -- played much better in this game than they did in Sunday's opener. They generated some consistent pressure on Chris Osgood. They were also able to crank up a forecheck at times, making sure Detroit's defenders had to work to move the puck up the rink. Chicago also took much better care of goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, allowing him to see more shots and giving him a chance to make saves and control rebounds.

That said, it wasn't enough. Osgood was up to the task most of the time, only letting in two goals by captain Jonathan Toews. While the Blackhawks were improved, they still made too many mistakes, including Campbell's gaffe that led to the winner.

If Chicago is to get back in this series, they have to find a way to be at least half as good as they're letting Detroit be at getting bodies in front of the opposing goaltender. At times, it appeared that part of the Blackhawk game plan was to let Tomas Holmstrom take up residence in front of Khabibulin. While this only burned Chicago for one goal on the night, it can't possibly strike anyone as a good way to defend against the Red Wings. While Chicago got some guys to the net, it wasn't nearly as effective, and Detroit was more diligent in putting up a fight against the tactic.

With a 2-0 series lead, Detroit can now take firm control, but they'll have to wait an extra day. Game 3 is Friday night at what will be a wild United Center in Chicago.