The Detroit Red Wings are two wins away from getting back to the NHL finals, and a chance to defend their Stanley Cup title, after a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Mikael Samuelsson scored 5:14 into overtime and Chris Osgood made 37 saves, helping Detroit to a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals series. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was relieved to win a game in which his team was often outplayed. They played for the fourth time in a week, including two hard-fought games against Anaheim. “I don't think we had any legs or any pop whatsoever,” Babcock said. “We had good will and good determination, but no legs.” The Blackhawks had nothing to show for their gritty effort and now have the daunting task of beating the defending champion in four of five games if they are to advance. “It's a brutal loss,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. “We want to beat them one game, the next one, and that's our concern.” Game 3 is Friday in Chicago. Detroit is trying to become the first defending champion to get back to the finals since New Jersey in 2001. The Red Wings are the last team to win successive titles, taking the Cup in 1997 and ‘98. Detroit's winner came on a 3-on-1 rush, taking advantage of Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell's turnover near Detroit's blue line. Jiri Hudler raced up the left side with the puck, pushed it to his right toward Valtteri Filppula, whose drop pass set up Samuelsson for a shot from the slot that beat Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. After losing 5-2 in the series opener, the young Blackhawks weren't going to get routed again. Jonathan Toews' second goal of the game with 7:40 left in regulation tied the game 2-2. Toews had given Chicago the lead midway through the first period, but Brian Rafalski got Detroit even later in the frame. Dan Cleary made it 2
