DETROIT – Marcus Nilson’s first career playoff goal at 2:39 of overtime lifted the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Martin Gelinas passed the puck from behind the net to Nilson, whose shot from the left circle got past Curtis Joseph’s glove.

Miikka Kiprusoff made 28 saves to help the Flames win their fourth straight game on the road in the playoffs. Joseph made 16 saves for the Red Wings, who were 3-0 at home this postseason.

It was the Flames’ third straight overtime game. Calgary beat Vancouver in overtime in Game 7 of the first-round series after losing Game 6 in triple overtime. Detroit played its first overtime of the postseason after getting past Nashville in six games.

Game 2 of this matchup is Saturday in Detroit.

The only goals in regulation came in the second period. Detroit’s Robert Lang scored at 6:15, and Robyn Regehr tied it at 1 with 2:03 left in the period.

While Detroit had the NHL’s best record this season, the sixth-seeded Flames boast two of the league’s top players and Darryl Sutter, a finalist for coach of the year.

Jarome Iginla is a finalist for the Hart Trophy (league MVP) and Kiprusoff is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy (top goalie).

Iginla led the NHL with 41 goals in the regular season and Kiprusoff allowed just 1.69 goals a game, the lowest average since Dave Kerr’s 1.54 GAA in the 1939-40 season with the New York Rangers.

Iginla, who didn’t get a shot off against Joseph until late in the second period, was stymied by Detroit’s swarming defensemen and aggressive, backchecking forwards.

Kiprusoff faced a lot of pressure, but only one shot got past him.

Lang, acquired from Washington two months ago, produced his second highlight-worthy goal of the playoffs and his third overall. He skated from the left boards across the ice, slipped past one Flames player and had Rhett Warrener engaged as his wrist shot went over Kiprusoff’s shoulder.

Regehr’s slap shot from above the left circle flew between two Red Wings and past Joseph, who looked as if he didn’t see the puck. The goal was the first against Joseph in nearly 120 minutes, going back to Game 5 against Nashville.

The Red Wings outshot Calgary 22-11 after two periods, but the score was tied.

Calgary is in the second round for the first time since it won the Stanley Cup in 1989, with Mike Vernon in net before he went on to lead the Red Wings to the 1997 title. The Flames won their first Game 1 since winning the Cup, going 0-7 in series openers since.

Detroit had not played the Flames in the playoffs since advancing past them in 1978 – when they were in Atlanta.

Notes: Regehr scored his first career playoff goal. Both Regehr and Nilson played in their eighth postseason game. … Brendan Shanahan and Derian Hatcher assisted on Lang’s goal. Lang has seven points in the playoffs, and four in three games. … The Red Wings replaced Steve Thomas (groin) with Jason Williams, who played in his first playoff game this season.

AP-ES-04-22-04 2242EDT