Hossa fires game winner as Wings dominate Ducks

DETROIT (Reuters) - Marian Hossa fired the game-winning goal early in the third period as the Detroit Red Wings finally made their dominance pay to edge the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 on Monday.

Johan Franzen scored the other Detroit goal and Chris Osgood had to make just 15 saves all night as the Wings dominated the Ducks, outshooting Anaheim 47-16.

Despite their superiority, the Wings were frustrated by the Ducks for much of the evening and trailed 1-0 until the later stages of the second period when Franzen tied the game.

"We were all over them and we outshot them," Hossa told reporters. "It was just a matter of time."

Chris Kunitz scored the lone goal for the Ducks after 1:50 of the opening period.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 37 saves before he left the game after two periods and was replaced by Jonas Hiller.

Giguere was pulled because Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle felt the team needed a shake-up and the goaltender's often troublesome groin injury might flare up again because of the high number of shots he was facing.

"Decided after two periods that he had seen enough rubber for one game and not to take a chance," Carlyle said.

Hiller promptly allowed Hossa's game-winner past him at 1:48 of the third period as the former Pittsburgh Penguins sniper converted a shot from the right faceoff circle off a two-on-one pass from Dan Cleary.

"It was disappointing," Hiller said. "I was expecting a one-timer and I was already down. You come into a tight game you know there's not much room for error, especially against a team like that."

Detroit improved to 16-4-4 with the victory, lifting the Wings into a three-way tie with Boston and Detroit for second in the NHL standings behind San Jose.

(Writing by Roger Lajoie in Toronto, editing by Nick Mulvenney)