DETROIT – Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart midway through the second period and Pavel Datsyuk restored a two-goal lead in the third to help the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in the second round series.

Patrick Kane scored 4:35 into the third period to pull Chicago within one. The Blackhawks celebrated as if they tied the game about a minute later, but Andrew Shaw’s goal was waved off because he was in the crease.

Datsyuk’s goal 6:46 into the final period gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead.

The seventh-seeded Red Wings have a shot to put the top-seeded Blackhawks on the brink of elimination Thursday night in Game 4.

Detroit’s Jimmy Howard was at his best, stopping 39 of 40 shots while Chicago’s inconsistent Corey Crawford had 27 saves.

Chicago has lost consecutive games for the first time in nearly two months.

The Blackhawks began the lockout-shortened season by setting an NHL record with at least a point in their first 24 games, ended it with a league-high 77 points and avoided having a three-game losing streak during the 48-game campaign.

NOTES

DUCKS: Defenseman Francois Beauchemin has undergone successful reconstructive surgery on a ligament in his right knee and hopes to return in time for the start of next season.

He had surgery Thursday, shortly after the Pacific Division champion Ducks lost to Detroit in the first round of the playoffs.