Schedule and 2007 Results
Regular Season Records: Detroit 50-19-13=113pts, Anaheim 48-20-14=110pts
Game 1 on Friday, 11 May: Anaheim loses at Detroit, 2-goals-1
Game 2 on Sunday, 13 May: Anaheim wins at Detroit, 4-goals-3 (OT)
Game 3 on Tuesday, 15 May: Detroit wins at Anaheim, 5-goals-nil
Game 4 on Thursday, 17 May: Detroit loses at Anaheim, 5-goals-3
Game 5 on Sunday, 20 May: Anaheim wins at Detroit, 2-goals-1 (OT)
Game 6 on Tuesday, 22 May: Detroit loses at Anaheim, 4-goals-3

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Anaheim Ducks hosted and defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-goals-3 for a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1003 victory. With the series 1003 win, the Anaheim Ducks/Mighty Ducks improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 9-4 overall and 2-1 in the Semifinals. With the series 1003 loss, the Detroit Red Wings see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 45-37 overall and 17-13 in the Semifinals. The win order in series 1003 for the victorious Anaheim Ducks was LWLWWW: Series 1003 thus becomes the third NHL Semifinals, the 13th NHL series (overall), and the 24th MLB/NBA/NHL series (overall) to follow this win order to completion. Ironically, the Detroit Red Wings, vanquished in series 1003, were victorious in series 1000 via the same win order over the San Jose Sharks in the 2007 NHL Quarterfinals.

After Game 5: Trailing by one goal with 49 seconds left in regulation, the Anaheim Ducks tied the Detroit Red wings 1-goal-all with 48 seconds left, and won the game 2-goals-1 with a goal 11:57 into overtime. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2006, road teams such as Anaheim that trailed by one goal with 49 seconds left had a game record of only 8-347 (.023). Anaheim thus takes a 3-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1003 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Anaheim Ducks (Mighty or not) have a 1-0 series record and a 1-0 Game 6 record: The win came over the Dallas Stars in series 883, in the 2003 NHL Quarterfinals. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Detroit Red Wings have a 7-14 series record and a 10-11 Game 6 record. The win/site order for the Anaheim Ducks thus far in series 1003 is LWLWW @ VVHHV: In the history of best-of-7 NHL Semifinals series, twice before has a series followed this win/site order - series 174, in which the Detroit Red Wings opened LWLWW @ VVHHV against the Chicago Blackhawks and won their 1966 NHL Semifinals series, and series 861, in which the Colorado Avalanche opened LWLWW @ VVHHV against the Detroit Red Wings and lost their 2002 NHL Semifinals series. Thus, the 1966 Detroit Red Wings offer the favorable precedent for the 2007 Anaheim Ducks against Detroit, while the 2002 NHL champion Detroit Red Wings offer the favorable precedent for their 2007 counterparts.

After Game 4: The Anaheim Ducks hosted and bested the Detroit Red Wings 5-goals-3 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1003 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Detroit Red Wings have a series record of 18-12 and a Game 5 record of 15-15, while the Anaheim Ducks (as the Anaheim "Mighty" Ducks) have a series record of 2-1 but a Game 5 record of 0-3. In the NHL Semifinals round, teams such as the 2007 Detroit Red Wings which have a win/site order of WLWL @ HHVV (i.e., winning Game 1 and losing Game 2 at home while winning Game 3 and losing Game 4 on the road) are on a four-series winning streak - and one of the four winners was the 2002 Detroit Red Wings (in series 861, over the Colorado Avalanche en route to the 2002 NHL championship).

After Game 3: Posting the most one-sided road Game 3 shutout in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series since 1991, the Detroit Red Wings visited and defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-goals-nil to take a 2-games-1 lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1003. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Detroit Red Wings have a series record of 21-8 (with an active five-series winning streak) and a Game 4 record of 12-17. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, Anaheim has a series record of 1-1 and a Game 4 record of 2-0. The 5-goals-nil shutout by the Red Wings was the most one-sided Game 3 shutout by a road team since series 579, in which the New York Rangers whitewashed the Capitals in Washington 6-goals-nil in the 1991 NHL Preliminary round (the Rangers would then lose Games 4-6 and the series to Washington; those 1991 Washington Capitals thus offer a favorable precedent of sorts to the 2007 Anaheim Ducks).

After Game 2: Scoring the game-winning goal 14:17 into the first overtime period, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Red Wings in Detroit 4-goals-3 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1003 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Detroit Red Wings have a series record of 18-15 and a Game 3 record of 16-17 with an active three-Game 3 losing streak, while the Anaheim Ducks and Mighty Ducks have a series record of 2-0 and a Game 3 record of 1-1. With the overtime victory by Anaheim in Detroit, there have thus far been 15 overtime NHL playoff games in 2007, with the road team emerging victorious in ten of them.

After Game 1: The Detroit Red Wings hosted and defeated the Anaheim Ducks 2-goals-1 to seize a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1003. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Red Wings have a series record of 30-12 and a Game 2 record of 28-14. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Anaheim Ducks (as the Anaheim "Mighty" Ducks) have a series record of 1-4 and a Game 2 record of 1-4. Trailing 1-game-nil, the Ducks upon subsequently losing Game 2 have a 0-4 series record, and upon subsequently winning Game 2 have a 1-0 series record (in series 963, over the Calgary Flames in the 2006 NHL Preliminary round).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2006-07 regular season, Detroit finished three points ahead of Anaheim. From 1939 through the 2007 NHL Quarterfinals, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by three regular-season points, they have posted an 11-14 (.440) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1003 is the 13th best-of-7 playoff series for Anaheim (as both the "Mighty Ducks" and "Ducks"), and the 82nd for Detroit. In best-of-7 playoff series, Anaheim has an 8-4 series record, a 1-1 Semifinals-round series record, and a 7-5 Game 1 record, while Detroit has a 45-36 series record, a 17-12 Semifinals-round record, and a 42-39 Game 1 record. Series 1003 is the fourth best-of-7 meeting between Anaheim and Detroit: Detroit defeated Anaheim in series 732 (the 1997 NHL Quarterfinals) and series 779 (the 1999 NHL Preliminary round), while Anaheim topped Detroit in series 878 (the 2003 NHL Preliminary round).