DETROIT (AP) – Darren Helm scored 3:58 into overtime to give the defending champion Detroit Red Wings a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night, setting up a Stanley Cup finals rematch with Pittsburgh.

Detroit won the Western Conference finals 4-1. The Red Wings and Penguins, coming off a four-game sweep over Carolina in the East, will open the championship series Saturday night in Detroit.

Helm sent off a celebration after fanning with a shot attempt from the edge of the crease and having the puck go in off his skate.

“We squeaked one by him,” Helm said.

Detroit’s Dan Cleary opened the scoring 6:08 into the third period, and Chicago’s Patrick Kane tied it with 7:07 left in regulation with his first goal of the series.

Cristobal Huet, playing for the injured Nikolai Khabibulin, made 44 saves for the Blackhawks. He forced overtime with a spectacular stop from his stomach, lifting his right leg to knock away Johan Franzen’s shot in the closing seconds.

Detroit’s Chris Osgood stopped 30 shots.

The Red Wings are matching up with Pittsburgh in what is the NHL’s first Stanley Cup rematch since the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Islanders in 1984 after losing to them the previous year.

The Red Wings, the first defending champion to get back to the finals since New Jersey in 2001, are trying to become the first team to repeat since winning the Cup in 1997 and ’98.

In the Western Conference finale, both teams were missing key players.

Detroit was without six-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom; his replacement, Jonathan Ericsson; MVP finalist Pavel Datsyuk; and four-time Cup-winning forward Kris Draper. In addition to Khabibulin, Chicago faced elimination without star forward Martin Havlat.

The Red Wings looked motivated to get off to a good start.

Detroit had 21 shots in the first period, the most it has had in any period this season, and two power plays but started the second in a scoreless tie.

Chicago failed to take advantage of having an extra skater three times in the second period, but it did outshoot the Red Wings 11-10.

The Blackhawks, playing in their first conference final since losing to Detroit in 1995, showed plenty of resolve after Cleary scored in the third period.

Kane scored on his first shot of the game, recording a goal for the first time in the series after scoring eight times in the first two rounds.

Notes: Ericsson was a surprise scratch, needing surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis following the morning skate. The Red Wings expect the rookie to return for Game 1 against Pittsburgh. … Lidstrom was out with an undisclosed injury, and Datsyuk missed his third straight game because of a foot injury. … Havlat was shook up in each of the last two games by hard hits and Khabibulin left Game 3 with a lower body injury. … Chicago coach Joel Quenneville fell to 0-5 against the Red Wings in the playoffs and they hope a trend continues. After beating a Quenneville-coached team, Detroit hoisted the Cup last year, in 2002, 1998 and 1997. … The Red Wings are an NHL-best 8-1 in the playoffs at home this year. … Before missing Game 4, Lidstrom had played in 228 straight since making his playoff debut in 1992 against the Minnesota North Stars.

AP-ES-05-27-09 2244EDT