Ducks vs. Wings Game 5 recap: Nick Bonino OT winner puts Anaheim in control

The Ducks did not lead for one second in Game 5, except for the second that mattered most.

May 9, 2013, 5:18 AM UTC

USA TODAY Sports

Nick Bonino's overtime goal gave the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 victory in Game 5 and a 3-2 lead in their series with the Detroit Red Wings.

Bonino scored after an extended stretch of pressure in the Red Wings' zone, with defenseman Ben Lovejoy catching up to his fumbled pass in the corner to cut back against Wings defenseman Brian Lashoff and feed Bonino with a pass through the top of the Wings crease.

The Red Wings twice held one-goal leads in the game, and twice they gave up those leads late in a period.

Johan Franzen opened scoring with a fortunate bounce on a first period power play:

But Kyle Palmieri's shot from distance late in the first period threaded its way through five bodies and into the back of Jimmy Howard's net at 1-1.

The teams repeated that pattern in the second period, with Mikael Samuelsson taking advantage of a soft Jonas Hiller rebound to give the Wings a 2-1 lead.

Then came a great opportunity for the Red Wings to extend their lead. Daniel Cleary avoided a scary moment when he was checked hard by Daniel Winnik. Winnik received a five-minute major for boarding on this play:

Cleary didn’t play again in the second period, but he returned to take a regular shift in the third.

The Wings couldn't cash in on Cleary's pain, however, as they misfired on the ensuing power play and even ended it when Brendan Smith took a penalty of his own.

Smith's penalty proved costly. Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf scored on the power play with 32 seconds left in the second period to tie it 2-2.

Getzlaf’s goal proved to be the last goal until Bonino’s overtime winner. While the teams combined for 51 shots in the first two periods, with the game on the line they locked down defensively and combined for just 11 shots in the third period.

Before the game we posted three questions:

Will Anaheim continue producing in the third period?

Not this time, but it didn't matter as the Red Wings couldn't find a third-period goal either.

If Detroit wins, will overtime be required?

Not at all. After the Wings benefited from overtime winners in Game 2 and Game 4, it was Anaheim's turn to win in the extra frame. The victory puts Anaheim into the driver's seat heading into Game 6 in Detroit.

Will special teams continue to be a factor?

And how. Each team had a power play goal, but what kept this game close enough for the Ducks to win was their ability to kill off Winnik’s five-minute boarding major. That kill combined with Getzlaf’s power play shortly afterward tied the game just 32 seconds before the second intermission.