Detroit, Apr 23: The visiting Calgary Flames stun the Detroit Red Wings with a 2-1 sudden-death overtime win to take a 1-0 series lead. Marcus Nilson scored his first career playoff goal at 2:39 of overtime to lift the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series at Joe Louis Arena. Martin Gelinas, who scored the series-clinching overtime winner on Monday in Game 7 of the first-round against Vancouver, set up Nilson's winner. Gelinas raced around the back of the net, beating Detroit defenseman Jiri Fischer to the puck. He then made a one-handed pass just before being hit by Mathieu Dandenault and got the puck to Nilson, who quickly snapped a high shot from the left circle past Curtis Joseph. Joseph, who won Game 6 of the first round series against Nashville with a shutout, made just 16 saves.


The Red Wings outshot the Flames 29-18, but Calgary netminder Miikka Kiprusoff finished with 28 saves.


Game 2 of the best-of-seven set is scheduled for Saturday in Detroit.


Robyn Regehr also scored for Calgary, which is playing a second-round playoff series for the first time in 15 years.


After a seven-year post-season absence, the Flames entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the West and won a series for the first time since capturing the Stanley Cup in 1989.


Robert Lang scored the lone goal for the top-seeded Red Wings, who lost on home ice for the first time in four tries this playoff season.

Bureau Report