Datsyuk hat-trick powers Wings to brink of finals

DALLAS (Reuters) - Pavel Datsyuk scored his first career hat-trick to power the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday, moving the Western Conference top seeds to the brink of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Red Wings have eased to a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven conference finals series and one more victory would set up an NHL title showdown against either the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins lead that series 2-0.

Game Four is in Dallas on Wednesday.

Datsyuk scored twice in the first period as Detroit got off to a fast start, then completed his landmark three-goal haul late in the third period.

Henrik Zetterberg added his ninth playoff goal and had two assists for the Red Wings, who won their ninth consecutive playoff game.

Zetterberg's short-handed goal came 1:38 into the third period.

"Those two (Datsyuk and Zetterberg) are superstars, but the good thing about them is they're complete players, too," Wings netminder Chris Osgood told reporters.

Jiri Hudler also scored for Detroit, getting the go-ahead goal on a breakaway 11:54 into the second period.

Nicklas Grossman and Brad Richards scored for the home team.

"We're in a tough spot," Richards said. "It's an uphill climb."

Only two teams in NHL history ever have come back to win a series after trailing 3-0, the last being the New York Islanders in 1975.

Osgood had a relatively easy game in net for Detroit, stopping 16 shots to improve to 9-0 in the playoffs.

He yielded single goals in the first and second periods and turned back the four shots he faced in the third.

Loser Marty Turco also halted 16 shots but gave up five goals.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by John O'Brien)