Mike Babcock said the Red Wings sat back and watched Game 1, doing about as much skating as I did in the 4-1 loss. In Game 2, they skated and they dominated the No. 1 Chicago Blackhawks, flipping (Filppula'ing?) the script and evening the series for Game 3 on Monday in Hockeytown.

The Blackhawks lit the lamp first in the first period after a Wings defensive breakdown, allowing Patrick Kane to score his first playoff goal since he started growing his beard back in the 2011 playoffs. The Wings had three great scoring chances in the period and outshot the Blackhawks 12-8, but couldn't cash in.

It didn't take long for the Wings to even things up in the second period, though, as Damien Brunner deflected a Jakub Kindl shot past Corey Crawford a little over two minutes in. They celebrated. 14 minutes later, Henrik Zetterberg made an amazing play to fend off a diving Blackhawk and showed even better patience with the puck as defenseman Brendan Smith crashed the net for an easy one-timer goal from the stick of Captain Z. They celebrated again. 

In the third, Johan Franzen wristed one by Crawford to make it 3-1 and Valtteri Filppula went flying and, during his ride, he put the game completely out of reach. We all celebrated.

Game highlights:

Filppula goal:

Game 3 in Hockeytown on Monday.

Key takeaway from the Red Wings' Game 1 loss to the Blackhawks in the Western Conference semis: Patrick Kane's beard needs work. $16.12 of work.

Game 2 is Saturday.

Just tweeted out by the team's official Twitter:

Round 2 schedule now available.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?i… twitter.com/DetroitRedWing…

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) May 14, 2013

In case the pic is not showing up for easy viewing, it's as follows:

Game 1: Wednesday, May 15 @ Chicago; 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, CBC
Game 2: Saturday, May 18 @ Chicago; 1 p.m. ET on NBC
Game 3: Monday, May 20 vs. Chicago 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Game 4: Thursday, May 23 vs. Chicago 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Game 5*: Saturday, May 25 @ Chicago TBD ET on TBD
Game 6*: Monday, May 27 vs. Chicago TBD ET on TBD
Game 7*: Wednesday, May 29 @ Chicago TBD ET on TBD

* if necessary
TBD = to be determined, not a time or channel you haven't heard of before

See you on WACK WEDNESDAY for Game 1.

Because every Mother's day needs a mother's night Red Wings Game 7 win:

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! This win was for you!!!

— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) May 13, 2013

/SUDDENJUBILIATIONINREGULATION

The final minutes felt a lot like Friday night, up 3-1 until a Ducks goal would make things far too interesting, and butt clenching and stuff. The Ducks wouldn't get the equalizer this time, though, and the Red Wings would perservere in regulation and, in all, an extremely hard-faught seven-game series a lot of people, myself included, thought they weren't going to be apart of.

Quickly, here's how the Wings pulled it off in Game 7:

After Henrik Zetterberg started the scoring early in the first and the Ducks tied things up 12 minutes later, the Wings were shorthanded when Justin Abdelkader broke up a pass in his own zone and then found the five-hole at the other end of a breakaway:

Abdelkader grew up pretty fast.

The second period was scoreless until Valterri Filppula wound up with what was ultimately the game winner on a backhander:

I've already talked about what happened in the third. We wound up celebrating (or sighing in relief).

Jimmy Howard had 31 saves in the game and the new Captain played heroically in the Wings' second consecutive elimination game.

There was a time when I thought No. 22 was not going to happen, but the Red Wings have already turned their 22nd straight playoff appearance into a special one. Four out of the series' seven games went into OT (the 1st time that has ever happened for the Wings) and they won all four of their games by a single goal against a No. 2 seed. Great [nervous] success!

The Red Wings will now take on a fellow Original 6, the No. 1 Chicago Blackhawks, in the Conference Semis, which begins on Wednesday night. Fun and jokes.

I was out of pocket, so I couldn't post this after it happened on Friday night to force Game 7, but I had to get it up.

What better time to do that than after Zetterberg scores a couple minutes into Game 7 to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead? NONE.

Eat your hearts out, Mothers.

With a 1-0 lead in the first period, the Ducks had a pretty good opportunity to tie things up, but then Jimmy Howard flashed some leather.

GIF via WorldofIsaac

Jimmy HoWOWard! RT @shepmatt: OMG.....Howard robbery

— Detroit4lyfe (@Detroit4lyfe) May 9, 2013

UPDATE: Howard had 18 saves in the 1st period, but one shot he couldn't possibly see got by him. 1-1.

During a break in the action of Game 4 on Monday night, while the refs and crew were tending to broken plexiglass, a very spirited Red Wings fan decided to grab her breasticles and shake them for all they're worth (lots of $1 bills, one or two would think). 

Have a look and in case you miss it the first time, this video has super slow mo: 

Thanks to our friends at Busted Coverage and Guyism, linked above, we know this peacocking (peaboobsing?) babe is Alexis Gilroy (or Sixela____ on Twitter). She says she wasn't drunk and her boobs are 100% real. I'm not sure if I'm more weirded out by the fact she was actually deciding to do this sober or that she has the same first name as my 4-month old daughter. 

In the most exciting game of the playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings evened their first round series with the Anaheim Ducks by winning a 3-2 stunner in sudden jubilation overtime thanks to a goal by a strange man named Brunner.

Damien Brunner, who was a ghost for most of the game, tapped in a trick-or-treat gimme on the doorstep ("please take one") to send the series back out West all knotted up at 2-2.

Here's video of the goal via NHL.com: 

As you can see, Gustav Nyquist's speed created the break and the ensuing scoring opportunity for Brunner. Brunner simply buried it home. And they celebrated again. 

Overtime was only possible because of Pavel Datsyuk. Down 2-1, Datsyuk decided he was going to score, skating with a mission into the Ducks' zone and wristing one top shelf. A gatorade bottle banger. 

Watch it on loop via WorldofIsaac: 

Mmmm. 

Game 5 is in Anaheim on Wednesday with the puck dropping at 10pm ET. 

Justin Abdelkader's hit on Toni Lydman late in the second period of Game 3 was the turning point. He received a five-minute major and a game misconduct as a result. The Ducks then scored 18 seconds into the power play to go up 1-0.

That was all the Ducks would need, but they added some Aflac with another three goals in the third period. Goodbye, home ice; it was nice having you for a period.

Here's the hit in question: 

Abdelkader is expected to have a conference call Sunday afternoon on any potential further punishment. Henrik Zetterberg said early Sunday that he looks forward to suiting up with Abdelkader on Monday, but I think the Wings' captain is going to be disappointed. I think Abdelkader is going to get suspended at least a game for this hit to Lydman's head. 

UPDATE:  Abdelkader reportedly got a two-game suspension. 

video via CBS