NHL: Detroit 4, Anaheim 3

DETROIT, May 14 (UPI) -- Daniel Cleary's slap shot found the net with 3 minutes to play Thursday, giving Detroit a 4-3 win over Anaheim and a berth in the Western Conference finals.

The Game 7 victory kept alive the Red Wings' hopes of a second straight Stanley Cup and ended a thrilling series that saw five of the seven games decided by a single goal.

Anaheim, which barely made the playoffs and then eliminated top-seeded San Jose in the first round, battled back from a two-goal deficit and tied the game 7:37 into the third period on a tip-in by Bobby Ryan.

The contest appeared headed for the ultimate in thrilling hockey conclusions, a seventh-game overtime, before Cleary ripped a shot past Jonas Hiller.

Jiri Hudler, Darren Helm and Mikael Samuelsson scored the other Detroit goals and Chris Osgood stopped 24 of 27 shots to get the victory.

Detroit will now take on the Chicago Blackhawks for the Western Conference title and the right to play for the NHL championship. Chicago eliminated Vancouver in six games in the other conference semifinal.

Detroit defeated Chicago in three of the team's five meetings during the regular season, but the losses came in a home-and-home series in the final two games of the campaign.

The Red Wings are trying for their fifth Stanley Cup crown in 12 seasons.

This was the first time Detroit had played in a Game 7 since the 2002 conference finals. The Red Wings smashed Colorado on that occasion 7-0.