Red Wings 1, Bruins 0: Pavel Datsyuk scored the lone goal with 3:01 to play in the third period and Jimmy Howard registered his third career postseason shutout as visiting Detroit won the series opener against top-seeded Boston.

Datsyuk, who missed 37 games this season due to injury and did not return to the lineup until April 4, weaved into three defenders before unleashing a wrist shot from the top of the slot that beat Tuukka Rask to the glove side. The tally proved to be enough for the Red Wings, who visit Boston for Game 2 on Sunday afternoon.

Howard, who recorded two shutouts during the regular season, turned aside 25 shots as Boston was blanked for the first time since the third game of the 2013-14 campaign. Howard kept the contest scoreless with a huge stop of a deflection by Milan Lucic seconds before Datsyuk's sixth career playoff game-winner.

Rask made 23 saves but fell to 1-5-1 against the eighth-seeded Red Wings, who beat the Presidents' Trophy winners for the fourth time in five meetings this season and improved to 8-1-0 in the last nine versus the Bruins.

After a fairly even opening 20 minutes, Detroit started using its speed to take control. The Red Wings managed only five shots on goal in the middle session but had a 21-9 advantage in shot attempts. Rask stoned Darren Helm from the doorstep early in the third, while Howard barely knocked Lucic's deflection wide before Datsyuk snapped the deadlock with his 37th career postseason tally.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bruins RW Reilly Smith was pitted against his brother, Red Wings D Brendan Smith - the first time a Boston player has faced a sibling in the postseason since Phil Esposito squared off against brother Tony in 1975. ... Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg, who underwent back surgery on Feb. 21, skated with the team on Friday for the first time since the Olympic break and did not rule out a return to the lineup before the end of this series. ... The Bruins were missing Ds Matt Bartkowski and Kevan Miller, who both were out with the stomach flu, as well as C Chris Kelly (back) and LW Daniel Paille (undisclosed).