In the absence of forward Pavel Datsyuk and defensemen Niklas Lidstrom and Jonathan Ericsson, Detroit relied on lesser known players to overcome the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 to clinch the NHL Western Conference title.
The Red Wings won the best-of-seven series 4-1.
"I thought tonight especially, different guys stepped up again," said forward Daniel Cleary, who scored the Red Wings' first goal early in the third period.
That took Cleary's post-season goals to eight, five coming against the Blackhawks.
Detroit face Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup finals for the second consecutive year, having won 4-2 last year. The first game in the best-of-seven series will be played in Detroit on Saturday.
Ericsson became the latest to join the Red Wings' growing casualty list, on Wednesday, when the team announced he had undergone surgery for appendicitis. The last pick in the 2002 NHL draft is expected to return for the next game, the team said.
To many teams, the absence of Lidstrom, who missed the first playoff game of his 17-year NHL career, or MVP finalist Datsyuk could have meant serious trouble.
However, forwards like Cleary, Marian Hossa and Henrik Zetterberg and Darren Helm, who scored the conference-clinching goal in overtime, filled the gap admirably.
"He's gotten better each and every game," said Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock of Helm. "Obviously with people we've had out, he's got more and more opportunity."
Helm, 22, a solid role player at Detroit, did not score a goal during the regular season, but has now scored three in the postseason.
The youngster said he had benefited from being sent to the minor leagues in the 2007-08 season in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
"I think being in Grand Rapids gave me a pretty big opportunity to go down there and develop as a player," Helm said.