VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 27 (UPI) -- Brett Hull broke out of a series-long slump with his first career playoff hat trick Saturday night as the Detroit Red Wings finished off the Vancouver Canucks with a 6-4 victory in Game 6 of the best-of-seven conference quarterfinals.
Hull and defenseman Chris Chelios, who tied a team record with four assists, were the heroes of the clincher. But the series turned in Game 3, when Vancouver goaltender Dan Cloutier was beaten from center ice by defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom in the final seconds of the second period. That goal broke a 1-1 tie and propelled top-seeded Detroit to four straight wins after it had dropped the first two games in its own rink.
Cloutier never recovered from his gaffe, surrendering 10 goals on just 33 shots after he was beaten by Lidstrom. He was replaced by Peter Skudra in each of the last two games.
The Red Wings advanced to the second round for the seventh time in eight years and will face St. Louis or Los Angeles.
It was the third straight first-round loss for Vancouver, which was the NHL's hottest team down the stretch but has won just one of eight home playoff games since moving into GM Place.
