Marchant scores in 3rd OT, lifting Ducks to 4-3 series-evening win against Red Wings

Ducks’ Marchant scores in 3rd OT to beat Red Wings

DETROIT — Pavel Datsyuk and Marian Hossa led the Detroit Red Wings in points and goals, respectively, during the regular season.

That’s becoming a distant memory.

The stunted superstars were held scoreless Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks, who evened the Western Conference semifinal at a game apiece on Todd Marchant’s goal in the third overtime.

“Your best players have to be your best players,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock said when asked about Datsyuk and Hossa after the 4-3 loss.

In part because it shut down Datsyuk and Hossa, Anaheim is guaranteed a return trip to the Motor City.

The Ducks will be back in Detroit after hosting Game 3 on Tuesday and Game 4 on Thursday.

Game 5 officially became necessary 100-plus minutes after the puck dropped Sunday thanks to an unlikely star.

Marchant, who has been in the NHL since the 1993-94 season, had just five goals during the regular season and 12 previously in the playoffs

“Not many games get decided off of my stick, that’s for sure,” he said.

The 35-year-old forward had plenty of energy on the game-winning play and help from teammate Rob Niedermayer, who screened goaltender Chris Osgood while Marchant flicked a wrist shot through traffic from the left circle at 1:15.

Osgood never saw it coming.

“I don’t know even where it went,” Osgood said.

The Red Wings will look back at Game 2 with regret, particularly when they wasted a rare power play in OT — midway through the first one — and outshot Anaheim 29-15 over the first two extra periods.

“We had some glorious chances, and we didn’t score,” Babcock said.

Jonas Hiller had a lot to do with that.

Playing in his first NHL postseason and second year in the league, he made a career-high 59 saves.

“I’ve never gone to double overtime before,” the native of Switzerland said. “We have shootouts at home.”

Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Pronger and Ryan Carter scored in regulation for the Ducks.

Osgood stopped 42 shots, and Brad Stuart, Mikael Samuelsson and Johan Franzen had goals for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who lost for the first time this postseason.

Datsyuk had 97 points during the regular season, backchecked and stole pucks as well as anyone, and did it with class to become a finalist for the NHL’s MVP, best-defensive forward and sportsmanship awards.

In the playoffs, he has one goal and three points.

Hossa had a team-high 40 goals for Detroit, the traditional power he chose to join with a one-year deal in the hopes of hoisting the Stanley Cup.

He’s pointless against the Ducks after he had two goals and two assists in the first round against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“The good thing about those guys, they know they have to be better,” Babcock said. “But we all can be better.”

At Boston, Cam Ward made 36 saves for his second playoff shutout in four games, Bruins star Zdeno Chara’s bad pass led to Matt Cullen’s short-handed goal, and Carolina tied the Eastern Conference series 1-1.

Joe Corvo also scored, and Eric Staal added an empty-net goal with 28 seconds left.

Boston goalie Tim Thomas’ winning streak ended at 11 games, including the last six of the regular season. He finished with 22 saves.

Game 3 is Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C.