As the only game on the schedule Monday, Game 3 between the Red Wings and Blackhawks was bound to be the topic of the day for NHL fans the next morning. However, the talk on Tuesday will center around more than just the final score. Detroit took Game 3 by a score of 3-1 thanks to a controversial call in the third period. We'll walk you through the game with our fabulous GIFs.
2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs nightly GIF recap: Wings win controversial Game 3
Game 3 between Chicago and Detroit was wild. You know what would make it more wild? GIFs.
The game began with a scary play. Viktor Stalberg sped up to lay a hit on Jakub Kindl, but he went careening headfirst into the boards when he whiffed.
Frankly, it’s amazing that he played the rest of the game. That had concussion written all over it. But, y’know, hockey.
And he didn’t have it nearly as bad as Dan Cleary.
That might be the first time an NHL net has been dislodged by someone’s teeth. Remarkably, Cleary was fine, as well. Little known fact: The Red Wings and Blackhawks are made of adamantium.
The teams played a scoreless first period, but Gustav Nyquist broke open the scoring in the second with the goal of the playoffs (so far).
Brent Seabrook's skates were given a proper burial after the game.
Detroit added to its lead just 31 seconds later. Drew Miller just barely beat Johnny Oduya to a rebound to give the Wings a 2-0 lead.
Chicago had a chance to get on the board late thanks to a dumb Brendan Smith interference penalty, but Detroit killed it off because the ghost of Nicklas Lidstrom still haunts the Wings' zone in Joe Louis Arena.
Chicago refused to die, however. While the Red Wings were stunned that a hit on Johan Franzen wasn't called boarding, the Blackhawks got the puck back up the ice, and Patrick Kane scored on a breakaway to make the score 2-1.
Then the game (and perhaps the series) turned on a controversial call in the third period. Viktor Stalberg's shot from beside the net somehow trickled past Jimmy Howard, and it looked like the Blackhawks had tied it.
But the referees waved the goal off, saying Andrew Shaw interfered with Howard. Red Wings fans and NBC seemed to be the only ones who agreed with that interpretation. If it was 1998, that would've been a great call. At any rate, it was certainly controversial, and it cost the Blackhawks in the end.
Instead of a tie game, the Wings still retained a lead. Pavel Datsyuk added to it just minutes later with a sick wrister from distance.
Chicago kept pressing but couldn’t even the score again. The Wings won 3-1 and lead the Blackhawks 2-1 in the series. You know what that means.
Bring out the octopus!
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