Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer (27) scored the game-winning goal against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. (Keyork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The feeling among most hockey pundits prior to the second-round series between Detroit and Anaheim was that the eighth-seeded Ducks needed to stay away from costly penalties in order upset a second consecutive top-ranked team.

As one of most consistently penalized teams in the NHL, the Ducks faced an uphill battle against the Stanley Cup champion Wings, who also have the best power-play unit in the post-season.

But with the teams set to clash in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal Thursday night (10:30 p.m. ET), it's Detroit that's been stung by penalty woes.

The Ducks, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1, have scored four of their seven goals on the power play, and rank only behind Detroit in that department.

"We have [to] stay out of the penalty box early on against them and we have to get our legs going early in the games," said Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom. "They've had some power plays early on that have given them some momentum, whether they score or not."

Anaheim took the series edge Tuesday night on a Scott Niedermayer's power-play marker at 8:16 of the second period. The veteran defenceman gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead at the time, but the goal proved to be the winner after Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg scored 4:04 later.

"He's a difference maker," Wings goaltender Chris Osgood said of Niedermayer. "If we're not watching him, he is going to burn us like he has in past series."

Of course, the Ducks were fortunate to win in regulation time. Detroit's Marian Hossa appeared to get the equalizer with only 65 seconds remaining.

Stationed behind the net, Pavel Datsyuk poked the puck into the crease and it sat next to Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller's right pad. Hossa converted the rebound into the open net, but referee Brad Watson ruled he lost sight of the puck and blew the play dead.

"We were lucky there," admitted Hiller. "You're always going to get good calls or bad calls against you, but I always say, 'To be lucky you have to fight for it' and [Tuesday night] we fought for 60 minutes — that is why we deserved to be lucky at the end."

The Wings will try to avoid losing a third straight playoff game for the first time since the Ducks beat them in the Western Conference final two years ago. Anaheim, which also swept Detroit in the first round in 2003, went on to capture its first Stanley Cup title in 2007.

A major problem for the Wings has been the struggles of Datsyuk, Hossa, and Tomas Holmstrom. The trio combined for 86 regular-season goals, but has yet to score in this series.

"We did lots of good stuff, we just have to keep going and keep grinding," said Hossa. "There are lots of loose pucks and rebounds. We just have to keep after them. Sooner or later a rebound will come to us and we'll put it in."

With files from The Associated Press