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Franzen with a hat trick in first for Detroit; Pens hold lead

Getting a hat trick in the playoffs is a heck of an accomplishment, just ask Dustin Byfuglien. Getting a natural hat trick in the playoffs is pretty impressive in itself and remarkable all at once and that’s precisely what Johan Franzen accomplished. In the span of 5:36 the Red Wings delivered four straight goals to help put the Red Wings out front and just one of those goals coming on the power play courtesy of a deflection from Todd Bertuzzi. After that it was Franzen’s time rattling off three in a row to put Detroit ahead 4-0. Valtteri Filppula added a fifth goal off the skate of Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray to make it 5-0 after one period of play.

Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov stopped a startling four out of nine shots in the period while Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard stopped all 11 shots he faced. It remains to be seen if seldom-used Sharks backup goalie Thomas Greiss will come into play in this game. After getting in a 5-0 hole, perhaps giving Nabokov some rest might help.

In Montreal, the Pens continue to lead the Canadiens 2-1 after two periods. While the Canadiens are focused on trying to keep the Pens out of the net, perhaps some offense could work as well. The Penguins are outshooting the Habs 25-9.