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Final Score: Detroit 5 - Chicago 4

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Pavel Datsyuk's breakaway tally capped a five- goal eruption in the second period and proved to be the game-winner, as Detroit overcame an Andrew Ladd hat trick and held on to beat the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4, at United Center.

Brian Rafalski, Nicklas Lidstrom, Jason Williams and Valtteri Filppula each lit the lamp in the middle stanza for the Red Wings, who have won four of five and maintained their grip on the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"(The Red Wings) are still the team to beat in the West," Ladd said. "They have the lineup to (contend). They dealt with a lot of injuries and managed to stay in the playoff hunt."

Jimmy Howard stopped 28 of the 32 shots he faced for Detroit.

The first three-goal game of Ladd's career wasn't enough for Chicago, which had bested the Red Wings in the last three matchups.

Duncan Keith had the other goal for the Central Division-leading Blackhawks.

Cristobal Huet started in net for Chicago and got pulled after yielding four goals on 17 shots. Antti Niemi made seven saves the rest of the way.

Detroit entered the second period staring at a two-goal deficit. Rafalski unloaded a one-timer on a power play at 4:12, then Lidstrom netted the equalizer 28 seconds later.

Filppula made it 4-2 at 10:27, just 42 seconds after Williams managed to tap in a Henrik Zetterberg feed despite having two Chicago players draped all over him.

Datsyuk slipped a backhander through the pads of Niemi with 2.7 seconds remaining for a three-goal cushion.

"We had a great second period, but came out flat in the third and they started to jump on us," Rafalski said.

Ladd beat Howard with a wrister on the stick side two minutes into the third, and trimmed the deficit to 5-4 on a redirection of a Keith shot at 12:06.

The Blackhawks continued to press, but didn't complete the comeback.

Keith scored on a rebound 4:24 into the game. Ladd converted a Filppula turnover deep in the Detroit zone for a 2-0 Chicago lead at 11:37.