Devin Setoguchi leads San Jose Sharks to 4-3 win over Detroit Red Wings
Devin Setoguchi lit the lamp twice, including the game-winner in the final frame, as the San Jose Sharks rolled to a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
Ryane Clowe and Joe Thornton each also tallied a goal for the Sharks, who have won four straight games, and prevented Detroit from winning a sixth consecutive play-off. Thornton also assisted twice while Antti Niemi stopped 35 shots in the win.
Danny Cleary found the net twice for Red Wings, while Jimmy Howard allowed four goals on 43 shots. Henrik Zetterberg also notched a goal in the loss. Cleary said after the game, "They played well, we did not play great at all. We had some opportunities offensively,
but I think defensively we were too loose."
San Jose drew first blood to take a 1-0 lead on a power play with seven seconds remaining in the opening stanza, as Thornton backhanded in a rebound for his 300th career goal. Cleary however, pulled Detroit even at 1-1 just seven minutes into
the middle session, when he hit the puck at the right post.
Clowe then put the Sharks back on top at 2-1, on a breakaway with six minutes left in the second period. Just 34 seconds later, Cleary struck again to tie the game again at 2-2 when he stuffed the puck in at the left post.
Setoguchi scored his first goal of the game to make it a 3-2 game with nearly one and a half minutes left in the same period. The play was set up by Thornton, who led a Sharks’ rush into Detroit’s end and passed the puck to the left circle for Logan Couture,
who ripped a shot that was saved by Howard. Thornton grabbed the rebound by the left post, circled behind the net and then dished it to the front for Setoguchi, who knocked it into the net.
Setoguchi then doubled the Sharks’ advantage 4-2, with his second goal of the game late in the final period. The move started when Thornton slipped the puck in from the right boards to the slot for Setoguchi, who hammered a slap shot into the net.
Thornton praised Setoguchi after the game by saying, "He's skating real well. He is having to goal spots and he is finishing. So we would like for him to stay hot like this because it's a real luxury for us."
Zetterberg then drew the Red Wings within a power-play goal to make it a 4-3 game with two minutes left in the third. However, the Red Wings could not get the equaliser, as Niemi was strong the rest of the way to preserve the win.
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