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Sharks inspi(red) in win over
Wings
Sharks take season series with 3-1
win
There are either a lot of Michigan transplants in
the Bay Area, or Detroit Red Wing fans made a pilgrimage to HP Pavilion on
Thursday night. The Tank oozed red as the Sharks and Red Wings faced off for
the fourth and final time in the regular season this year. San Jose would put
together an all-around complete game en route to a 3-1 win over Detroit before
a packed house. Dany Heatley would score a pair of goals and Antti Niemi made
26 saves to lead the Sharks to their 8th straight win.
With the win,
San Jose would take the season series 3-1-0, taking the last three games from
the Red Wings. The Sharks had the advantage of an extra days rest with Detroit
losing in overtime in Anaheim less than 24 hours earlier. The Red Wing fatigue
showed early, as San Jose out-shot Detroit 12-1 at one point in the 1st period.
Heatley opened the game's scoring just 3:51 into the contest on a put
back from the Red Wings doorstep. Ian White floated a puck in from the right
point that goaltender Joey MacDonald blocked but did not cover. Heatley stabbed
at it from the left side of the crease, pushing his 21st goal of the season
past MacDonald.
With San Jose owning the ice early, Douglas Murray
would wake of the visitors with a jarring check on Dan Cleary, which sent the
Red Wings winger sprawling near his bench.
Kris Draper tried to
reciprocate with a hit on Niclas Wallin that planted the Sharks defenseman head
first into the boards. Draper would earn a two minute penalty for boarding, but
the Sharks would fail to capitalize.
Logan Couture would get called
for a ticky-tack hooking penalty at 10:10 of the period, but San Jose would
counter on the penalty kill by denying any quality chances on Niemi.
Justin Baun was sent off at 16:59 for flipping a puck over the glass to put the
Red Wings back on the man advantage but this time they would make doubly sure
to get one past Niemi. Detroit appeared to score just seconds into the penalty
when Niklas Kronwall fired a shot into the Sharks net from the right wing
boards, but the would be goal was waved off because Johan Franzen was ruled to
be in the crease.
Tomas Holmstrom would convert later on the same
power play, deflecting a Mike Modano shot past Niemi with 1:41 left in the
period. San Jose missed on an opportunity to clear the puck allowing Niklas
Lidstrom to keep the play alive and setup the goal with a pass to Modano on the
left side. It was a simple mistake by the Sharks, but simple mistakes against
the Red Wings typically end up in the net.
San Jose would score their
own power play goal 3:54 into the 2nd period after Holmstrom was sent off for
hooking. Joe Pavelski would setup the goal with a pass to the low slot from the
right dot that Heatley redirected past MacDonald. What really made the goal
impressive was Heatley's hand-eye coordination as he got his stick on the
ankle-high pass to redirect it perfectly into a wide open net.
"Positionally strong tonight, skated well, created opportunities to score, went
to the net," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said of Heatley after the gem.
"It's a pretty good recipe for him."
The Red Wings were awarded another
power play with 7 minutes to play in the period on an interference call on
Torrey Mitchell. San Jose would kill the penalty then kill the rest of the
period in the Detroit zone. A feisty forecheck would keep the puck pinned for a
good chunk of the remaining 5 minutes, but the Red Wings withstood the pressure
to keep it a one-goal game heading into the 2nd intermission.
MacDonald was forced to make a circus save 3 min into the 3rd period on a
Mitchell chance from the slot. That high light would be followed by a gaff that
the Red Wings goaltender won't soon forget.
With four minutes
remaining in the contest, Joe Thornton dumped a puck deep in the Detroit zone
as his linemate Patrick Marleau pursued. MacDonald stepped out of his crease to
try and sweep the puck out to his offense, but his clearing attempt hit Marleau
and deflected into his net 12 feet away.
"Its funny what happens when
you go hard patty didn't even shoot it and he scored," said McLellan. "It's
funny how it works, sometimes you have to get the ugly." The goal was just the
insurance the Sharks needed to close the contest out. Detroit head coach Mike
Babcock would pull MacDonald with two minutes remaining to try and generate
some offense, but it was prove fruitless.
Heatley had a chance to
complete the hat-trick when he found himself with the puck along the right wing
boards and nothing between him and the goal. He would rush his shot from
outside the blueline, missing the net with the puck sailing over the crossbar.
"I thought we got through the first ten minutes," said Babcock. "We
got the game at 1-1. I thought we were better there than in the second period.
In the end they scored a power play goal there to go up 2-1. But I thought it
was a real good road game for us here tonight."
Game
Notes:
With his assist on Heatley's goal, Joe Thornton is now in
sole possession of 55th place on the NHL All-Time Assist List (684) and of 80th
place on the NHL All-Time Points List (985).
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think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| DET |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| SJ |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
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| 1st period - 1, SJ,
Heatley 21 (White, Marleau), 3:51. 2, DET, Holmstrom 14 (Modano, Lidstrom),
18:19, (pp). |
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| 2nd period - 3, SJ,
Heatley 22 (Pavelski, Thornton), 3:54, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 4, SJ,
Marleau 25 (unassisted), 15:48. |
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| 1st period - Draper, DET
(boarding), 5:58; Couture, SJ (hooking), 10:10; Braun, SJ (delay of game - puck
over glass), 16:59; Franzen, DET (roughing), 18:07; Vlasic, SJ (roughing),
18:07; Kronwall, DET (slashing), 20:00; Thornton, SJ (roughing), 20:00. |
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| 2nd period - Holmstrom,
DET (hooking), 3:14; Mitchell, SJ (holding), 12:43. |
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| 3rd period - Kindl, DET
(hooking), 13:07. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| DET - MacDonald |
28 |
25 |
| SJ - Niemi |
27 |
26 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| DET |
10 |
12 |
5 |
27 |
| SJ |
15 |
5 |
8 |
28 |
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| Referees: Dwyer,
Watson. Linesmen: Cvik, Sericolo. |
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