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Helm's late goal keeps Red Wings alive

May 7, 2011 - 3:36 AM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Detroit lived to fight another day as Darren Helm's goal with 1:27 to play in the third period gave the team a 4-3 win over San Jose in Game 4 of a Western Conference semifinal series.

Detroit held a 3-0 lead late in the first period, but saw that advantage evaporate and Dany Heatley tied the game just 1:14 into the third.

However, Detroit threw everything it had at Antti Niemi to stave off elimination and finally broke through on Helm's second goal of the playoffs.

A left circle faceoff win saw the puck cycled around with a shot coming from the left point. Patrick Eaves found himself with the puck and from the right circle he fired it over to the left where Helm snapped it in for a 4-3 lead.

"He's a real good player and always works hard for us everyday," said Detroit head coach Mike Babcock about Helm. "I thought he was going to get an opportunity and he did and made the most of it."

From there, the Red Wings held the Sharks at bay to win their first game of the series.

Nicklas Lidstrom scored twice while Todd Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who are attempting to become just the fourth team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 hole in a best-of-seven series. Jimmy Howard stopped 25 shots for the win.

Logan Couture had a goal and an assist while Ryane Clowe had three helpers for the Sharks, who got 36 saves from Niemi.

The Sharks will hope to close out the series in front of their home crowd on Sunday in Game 5.

"It was hard to find six or seven guys that really skated well and Detroit did," said San Jose head coach Todd McLellan. "They worked hard out there and deserve all the credit. We just have to go home and work extra hard on Sunday cause we don't want to come back here."

Detroit jumped off to a quick lead when Bertuzzi used a spin move to get past a defender than threw a backhand from the right circle that hit off the stick of a Shark and got past Niemi just 6:22 in.

It was a 2-0 game less five minutes later as a sharp backhand on the fly from the right boards by Dan Cleary saw Niemi make the stop, but he kicked a big rebound out to the left circle where Lidstrom one-timed it home.

The Red Wings then made it a 3-0 game on the power play with 1:59 left in the first as Lidstrom whacked the puck out of air in the slot and it bounced off the ice before heading into the left corner.

However, the Sharks got one back 15 seconds later when a shot from the left boards by Clowe was deflected into the net at the left side by Couture.

The only goal of the second period was San Jose's as Dan Boyle's wrist shot from the right circle went over the glove of Howard for Boyle's second goal of the playoffs at the 13:44 mark of the second.

The comeback was capped early in the third when Heatley's wrister in the slot of a Clowe centering pass made it a 3-3 game.

Game Notes

Detroit went 1-for-4 on the power play while San Jose was 0-for-2...In last year's semifinal set between these two clubs, Detroit won Game 4 by a score of 7-1 to avoid the sweep, but then went on to lose Game 5...This is the fifth time these two clubs are meeting in the playoffs...Clowe has eight assists in the playoffs.