Detroit Red Wings force game six as they overtake San Jose Sharks 4-3 –NHL Playoffs
The Detroit Red Wings have decided not to go down as easily as the San Jose Sharks thought they would. The Red Wings made a major comeback in the third period as they forced a game six extension at home after defeating the Sharks 4-3 at the HP Pavilion Centre
in San Jose, California on Sunday.
After a 3-1 deficit within the opening minute of the third period, the Red Wings had a sudden change of heart and recaptured the matchup in the next 13 minutes, which looked to be in San Jose’s grip at one time. San Jose had almost double the opportunities
that Detroit had at the net, but in this case it was the quality not the quantity that counted. The Sharks outshot the visiting team 42-22 as Jimmy Howard blocked 39 shots, while Antti Niemi had only 22 of which 18 he managed to reject.
"There's a lot of character on this team. There's not any quit," said Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, who made 39 saves. "Our season was on the line there in the third period, and we found a way."
Devin Setoguchi scored the opening goal of the fifth match between both teams in the Western Conference semi-final series. Setoguchi’s fifth of the post-season came when Dan Boyle attempted a slap shot from the blue line but lost momentum closing in on the
net. Setoguchi re-powered it and fired the puck into the net with less than three minutes remaining in the first.
Joe Pavelski also got his fifth of the playoffs in the second period with 4:28 remaining to extend the lead 2-0. Niklas Kronwall answered back for Detroit’s first of the game less than a minute later to lessen the gap entering the final period.
San Jose’s superstar rookie, Logan Couture fired off on a wide open break-away opportunity from centre ice which went past Howard’s legs and into the net during the opening 54 seconds of the final. Jonathan Ericsson’s first goal of the series led the Detroit
Red Wings to go on a shooting spree, as Daniel Cleary and Tomas Holmstrom continued the scoring to change a 3-1 deficit in the opening minute to a 4-3 lead a little over midway through.
"I think you put yourselves in a very dangerous position if you get back on your heels against that team," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "I didn't think we did that tonight. They just outplayed us in the third period.
Instead of worrying about who their opponent might be in the Western Conference finals from the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predator series, San Jose and Detroit are more focused on finishing business over here.
Detroit will have a chance at making history if they win game-six on Thursday night and get inducted into the short list of teams who have recovered after a 3-0 disadvantage in a playoff series.
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