VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Critics quickly pointed at Detroit's big payroll in confusion after the Red Wings fell behind 2-0 in the Western Conference quarterfinals, but it was the little things that got them back in the series with a 3-1 victory Sunday night over the upstart Vancouver Canucks.

	Dominik Hasek denies Todd Bertuzzi on a penalty shot late in Game 3.

Faced with the mounting pressure of enormous expectations after cruising to an NHL-best regular-season record, the star-studded Red Wings finally clicked again and made things go their way.

The best team money could buy couldn't buy a goal when it mattered most in the first two games in Detroit, but a change of scenery away from the high expectations of Hockeytown helped get the Red Wings back to their game.

"That's what we've hoped for. If we'd just stick with it, the bounces will go our way and we had a lucky break," Detroit captain Steve Yzerman said.

That break was defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom's blast from center ice that whistled underneath shaken Vancouver goalie Dan Cloutier's glove with 24.6 seconds left in the second period and gave the Wings a 2-1 lead.

"They got rolling on the power plays in the second, and a quiet building got pretty loud, (so) they were getting some momentum," Yzerman said. "You don't get many easy goals ... so that's a huge lift, particularly at the end of the period."

But it wasn't something as simple as luck that won Game 3: The Red Wings' hard work and veteran smarts were bigger reasons why they are back in the series. Detroit forechecked more aggressively and forced the Canucks to rush their passes, hitting more skates than sticks and turning over the puck more often than in the first two games.

"They did a good job playing the gap. They played well. They defended well," Canucks center Trevor Linden said. "When they didn't have the puck, they did a solid job in the neutral zone. They played a real good road game, a game they desperately needed.

"I don't think we had as many rush opportunities as we had in Detroit. Space was at a premium out there, you were fighting for every foot you could get."

Linden acknowledged the Canucks were a little nervous at the start before a raucous home crowd of 18,422 mostly white-towel-waving fans at GM Place. Detroit dominated the first period with feisty play, typified by the gutsy Yzerman, who continues to be one of his team's best players despite an injured right knee.

The Detroit center drew a holding penalty to Brendan Morrison, then opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 10:41 after leading the rush, driving to the net and finally stuffing in a wraparound attempt past Cloutier.

"I think we did a little bit better at puck control, made smarter plays coming up the ice. We were a little bit more effective and able to generate a little bit of offense or at least get it in their end a little more effectively," Yzerman said.

Even after the Canucks tied it on forward Todd Bertuzzi's power-play goal at 4:38 of the second, the veteran-laden Red Wings calmly held off Vancouver's attack and kept quality chances in front of Detroit goaltender Dominik Hasek to a minimum until Lidstrom gave them the lead for good.

And it was also a big help that the Red Wings were blocking shots and breaking up plays instead of deflecting them on the way to their own net.

"I didn't do anything differently, I think overall we played a better game and myself -- at least there weren't any bad bounces," Hasek said, laughing.

After two subpar games, Hasek had the most to prove among the many future Hall of Famers in the Detroit lineup. He prevented any notion of a Canucks comeback Sunday by sprawling across the crease to stop defenseman Ed Jovanovski's shot off a rebound with 4:35 remaining and stopping Bertuzzi on a penalty shot with 3:06 left in the third period.

"I think the advantage was it was toward the end of the third period and the ice wasn't the best," Hasek said. "I think he tried to shoot it five hole and I closed it. I don't think he had any hole there."

Throw in Brendan Shanahan's insurance goal through a screen by Jovanovski, and it looks like more of the Red Wings are living up to their $65 million payroll and that invaluable reserve tank of experience.

"We've been through this situation a few times, and at some point in the playoffs, unfortunately it was after two games, you're faced with a must-win game and that's how you respond in that one," Yzerman said. "You either respond and play well or go home."

Jim Wilkie is an editor for Page 2.