GLENDALE, Ariz. — Danny Cleary shot from behind the post, squeezing the puck through a hole seemingly no wider than a skate blade. Todd Bertuzzi muscled an opponent and the puck to the front of the crease, getting a fortunate bounce to find the net.
Hanging on: Buffalo's Tyler Myers controls the puck as Philadelphia's Ville Leino tries to slow him down in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night. AP PHOTO
Two goals in 2 minutes and the Detroit Red Wings were headed into the next round, the Phoenix Coyotes toward an uncertain future.
Detroit counterpunched Phoenix's best shot through two periods and dominated with a flurry in the third, sweeping the Coyotes out of the playoffs and possibly out of the desert with a 6-3 victory Wednesday night.
"We knew they were going to come out and play with their best effort and I thought they did, but we really wanted to win tonight," Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said.
So did Phoenix. With the ownership situation still brewing at two years and counting, the Coyotes wanted to go out as winners in what could be their last game in the desert.
Detroit won Game 3 on four quick-hitting goals during a whiteout at Jobing.com Arena and used its depth to wear down Phoenix in a Game 4 that was more of a dusting of white, but just as juiced.
Tomas Holmstrom, Patrick Eaves and Niklas Kronwall scored in the goal-trading first two periods, then Cleary squeezed a deflating score between goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's skate and the post with 6:19 left in the game. Bertuzzi made it a two-goal lead by knocking a shot off Coyotes defenseman David Schlemko's skate 1:53 later, and Eaves sealed the sweep with his second goal on an empty net.
Capitals 4, Rangers 3 (2OT)
In New York, Jason Chimera scored in double overtime to complete Washington's three-goal comeback that pushed the Rangers to the brink of playoff elimination.
New York scored three times in the second period to take a 3-0 lead and seemed poised to head back to Washington for Game 5 on Saturday with the series squared. But the top-seeded Capitals fought back and moved within one win of advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Alexander Semin started Washington's rally, and Marcus Johansson scored twice in the third to make it 3-3.
The Rangers built their big lead on a goal by Artem Anisimov and tallies just 7 seconds apart by Marian Gaborik and Brandon Dubinsky.
Penguins 3, Lightning 2 (2OT)
In Tampa, James Neal scored the winner in double overtime as Pittsburgh beat Tampa Bay to take a 3-1 series lead.
Neal gathered a loose puck along the boards and sent the winning shot past goalie Dwayne Roloson.
Sabres 1, Flyers 0
In Buffalo, the hosts beat Philadelphia to even their series 2-2, with Ryan Miller making 32 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs.
Jason Pominville scored at 9:38 of the first period.
Ducks 6, Predators 3
In Nashville, Anaheim's Corey Perry's netted a short-handed goal early in the third period put the Ducks ahead to stay.
Cam Fowler had a power-play goal and an assist, and Ryan Getzlaf, Brandon McMillan, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu added goals as the Ducks tied the series 2-2.
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