NHL: San Jose Sharks beat Detroit Red Wings 5-2
San Jose’ rookie Logan Couture scored twice and right winger Dany Heatley added a goal and an assist, as San Jose Sharks defeated the Western Conference-leading Detroit Red Wings, 5-2, at Joe Louis Arena on 6 December.
Sharks’ coach Todd McLellan refused to get excited about an impressive win over Red Wings.
McLellan has been duped by the Sharks too many times this season.
“The motivation can’t be external, it has to be internal in our locker room,” McLellan said.
“Until we get that, until we make that decision—and I’ve said that over and over and over again—we’ll continue to play the way we’re playing.”
The Sharks have alternated winning and losing for eight games this season. Their latest win moved them out of last place in the Pacific Division.
“They got a good team, I don’t think anyone questions that,” Red Wings’ coach Mike Babcock said.
“The big thing is, your ups got to be a lot longer than your downs.”
Detroit’s left winger Tomas Holmstrom registered a goal with a helper and right winger Johan Franzen whose four-game win streak was halted, also scored in the first period, but the Red Wings couldn’t hold either lead.
Sharks’ Center Joe Thornton had scored only once in 15 games and had been held to one shot in three of four games before he put in a short-handed goal off of a beautiful pass from right winger Dany Heatley on the two-on-one. Dany Heatley gave Sharks a two-goal
lead late in the second.
Sharks’ Center Logan Couture sealed the victory in the third with his second goal.
“We were good for 20 minutes,” Mike Babcock said. “The team that worked the hardest and played the hardest won.”
“You can’t turn over pucks and lose battles and be successful.”
Sharks Goaltender Antti Niemi was stellar; keeping the Detroit’s scoreless in periods two and three after giving up two in the first. He was good for 25-of-27 saves with a .926 save percentage. Detroit’s goalie Jimmy Howard saved 30-of-35 in a losing effort,
with a .857 percentage.
“We didn’t help the goaltender out,” Coach Babcock said.
The power-play goal put Red Wings ahead 2-1 with 85 seconds remaining in the first when Franzen beat Niemi with a one-timer from a sharp angle near the goal line at 18:35.
The Sharks forged ahead with two goals in eight seconds from Wallin on a tip- in of a point blast at 4:53, then Couture ripped a shot high and inside the right post at 5:01 of the middle period.
Heatley made it 4-2 with 1:03 remaining in the second, and Couture ended any comeback hopes for Red Wings when his 12th goal gave the San Jose a 5-2 edge with 8:43 left in the game.
“We came out firing in the second and third periods,” Thornton said.
The San Jose Sharks played slow, lazy hockey in the first period outside of an initial scoring opportunity at the very beginning of the matchup, but after the intermission they came out fast, with energy and didn't let up for the next forty minutes of play.
They took almost every one-on-one and beat their guy, Niemi was lockdown and the Sharks were able to walk out of Joe Louis Arena with a Victory.
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