PITTSBURGH – The Penguins were 11-0 when scoring first. They had won 17 in a row at home. Goaltender Marc Andre Fleury hadn’t lost at Mellon Arena since November. That's not the case anymore.

Jiri Hudler scored 2:26 into the third period and Detroit’s penalty killing shut the door late, giving the Red Wings a 2-1 Game Four victory and leaving them just one victory away from hockey's ultimate prize.

“We know as a team we haven’t won anything yet,” Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. “We won three games. We have to win four to win the Stanley Cup. But we know that in our locker room.”

It looked early on as if the Penguins Game Three momentum would carry over as Marian Hossa scored on a power play just under three minutes into the game. The sold-out crowd of 17,132 at the Igloo went nuts, but the Red Wings remained calm, even after another Hossa chance caught a good chunk of goaltender Chris Osgood’s glove and the crossbar a minute and a half later.

Then they drew even.

Lindstrom scored on a shot from the point in which Pens goaltender Marc Andre Fleury was screened. Not by Tomas Holmstrom, who was scratched with an injury, but by his own defenseman, Sergei Gonchar. The captain’s third goal of these playoffs set the tone and was instrumental in helping Detroit control the final two periods.

“It’s early in the game,” Darren McCarty said of Hossa’s goal. “The game hasn’t set it yet. I think it was harder the other night after we controlled the play early on. We wanted to bounce back and answer quickly and we did that.”

The Red Wings out-shot Pittsburgh 30-23, but the Pens had plenty of chances. After an early-blip, Osgood’s play was stellar in helping Detroit set the tone as they would control the puck possession and frustrate Pittsburgh's prolific offense in a game which resembled the first two games of this series.

“I just try and make myself big and be patient,” Osgood said. Because these guys are All-Star players and World class guys. I’m just trying to get in front of it as best I can, because they do have great moves. And it’s great to play against them. It’s a lot of fun for me.”

As good as Osgood was, the guys in front of him were even better and if the Red Wings end the series on Monday, no play will be bigger than the minute and a half of five-on-three penalty time Detroit killed midway through the third. With Kirk Maltby and Anders Lilja in the box, the Penguins could only muster two shots on goal. And it wasn't just the defenseman, but Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk got into the act as well.

"It was interesting. I was thinking of lacrosse at that time," Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock said. "I always hear my son's coach yelling when they're shorthanded, get a hold of it and hang onto it. That's what he was doing."

"But you know, I've been telling people for three years how good Zetterberg is. And so this isn't a surprise to me. He's just a conscientious good two-way player. So is Datsyuk. But we have a lot of good players."

And they don't always have to put the puck in the net to make a difference.