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Mistakes prove costly Detroit evens series 1-1 4/28/07 -
by
Mike Lee
Jumping out to a 2-goal lead in the 1st is
turning into a trend for the Sharks. Too bad they couldn't duplicate their
winning ways in Game 2 of their Western Conference Quarter Final series with
the Detroit Red Wings. The Sharks squandered their early fortune with two big
mistakes and a lifeless ending to even the series up at 1-1. Detroit scored 3
unanswered goals, including a pair in the 3rd period, t win 3-2and get back
into the series.
San Jose head coach Ron Wilson tried to re-instrument the defensive mode hockey
that helped shut out the Red Wings in Game 1, rather than finish off their
Detroit hosts. The Red Wings recognized the alignment and fought back in Game
2, rather than roll over as they did in the series opener.
Pavel Datsyuk scored with 1:24 left in regulation to propel the Red Wings,
after Detroit turned up the pressure late in the contest. The Sharks looked
flat in their own end and failed to clear the puck after defenseman Kyle
McLaren weakly rimmed the puck out from behind his own net.
Former Sharks Mikael Samuelsson slid a pass to Datsyuk from the right corner,
before the Red Wings forward cut across the top of the crease and slid the puck
into a wide open net. Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov could only sprawl in
desperation as Datysuk cut from left to right.
Patrick Marleau and McLaren were on the ice for all three Detroit goals.
The Sharks had the Red Wings on the ropes early, scoring just 36 into the game
on a Jonathan Cheechoo deflection. McLaren sent a shot in from the point, but
Cheechoo nicked the puck with his stick from 20 feet out, changing the
trajectory on Detroit goaltender Dominik Hasek.
Joe Thornton would score his 1st goal of the playoffs less than 4 minutes later
to stun the 19,113 in attendance. Hasek gift wrapped the goal by misplaying
the puck behind his own net, sliding a pass right to Milan Michalek in the
corner. Michalek fired a blind pass to the slot, where Thornton was roaming
for the easy goal.
Nabokov returned the favor by allowing Zetterberg to slip a stoppable shot past
him with 2:30 to play in the 1st period. Zetterber carried the puck up the
left wing, before sending a seemingly harmless shot from a tight angle. The
puck fooled Nabokov and slipped between his pads to cut the Sharks lead to 2-1.
It was only Detroit's 3rd shot of the game, but it gave the Red Wings life.
The Sharks power play has been atrocious during the playoffs, but it cost them
early in the 3rd period. Christian Ehrhoff made an poor decision and tried to
pass the puck up ice from behind his own end boards. Kirk Maltby deflected the
pass to Dan Cleary, who raced in uncontested and rifled a shot past Nabokov to
tie the game.
San Jose would generate only 6 shots on goal in the final period and never came
close to putting a shot past Hasek.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DET |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
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1st period - 1, SJ, Cheechoo 1 (McLaren,
Thornton), 0:36. 2, SJ, Thornton 1 (Michalek), 4:17. 3, DET, Zetterberg 3
(Datsyuk, Bertuzzi), 17:30.
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3rd period - 4, DET, Cleary 2 (Maltby),
1:23, (sh). 5, DET, Datsyuk 4 (Samuelsson, Zetterberg), 18:36. |
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1st period - Draper, DET (holding the
stick), 5:29; Marleau, SJ (slashing), 13:59; Hudler, DET (boarding),
17:46. |
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2nd period - Bertuzzi, DET (interference),
3:08; McLaren, SJ (holding), 9:51; Draper, DET (holding), 19:47. |
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3rd period - Franzen, DET (interference),
8:01; Bertuzzi, DET (hooking), 12:50. |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Nabokov |
22 |
19 |
DET - Hasek |
19 |
17 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
9 |
4 |
6 |
19 |
DET |
3 |
9 |
10 |
22 |
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Referees: Dave Jackson, Bill McCreary. Linesmen:
Greg Devorski, Brad Lazarowich. |
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