Final
Sharks face top-seeded Red Wings in West semifinal opener
Apr 26, 2007 - 1:23 PM San Jose at Detroit 7:30 pm EDT Western Conference semifinal Game OneDETROIT (Ticker) -- If the regular season is any indication, the San Jose Sharks are a legitimate threat to knock the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The teams, meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 1995, open their Western Conference semifinal matchup on Thursday.
San Jose had its way with Detroit during the regular season, winning three of the four meetings.
The key to the series may be whether 42-year-old netminder Dominik Hasek can keep San Jose's potent offense in check.
The Sharks' Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo are extremely dangerous offensive weapons despite failing to score a goal in the Sharks' five-game triumph over the Nashville Predators in the quarterfinals. Thornton, who led the NHL with 92 assists, had six assists against Nashville while Cheechoo added three helpers.
The Red Wings also need to keep an eye on Patrick Marleau, who scored 32 goals during the regular season and three in the quarterfinals. Defensemen Craig Rivet and Matt Carle also contributed, teaming for three tallies and eight points.
The Sharks have not been without their problems however. After boasting the league's second-best power play (22.4 percent) during the regular season, the Sharks were a dismal 2-for-30 (6.7 percent) in the quarterfinals.
Additionally, while Evgeni Nabokov is a solid goaltender, he has the worst goals-against average (2.39) and save percentage (.902) of the eight remaining starting netminders.
Nabokov will face a Red Wings team that received goals from 11 different players in their six-game triumph over the Calgary Flames in the quarterfinals. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom led the team with eight points, while Pavel Datsyuk netted a club-high three tallies.
Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, three of the Red Wings' top four scorers during the regular season, struggled against the Sharks this year. The trio combined for only one goal and three assists in the season series.
Maintaining the home-ice advantage appears to be the key for Detroit. The Red Wings were one of just two teams with home-ice advantage in the quarterfinals to go unbeaten at home. Detroit allowed a total of three goals in three games against Calgary at Joe Louis Arena.
- PLAYOFFS
NHL FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
SAN JOSE 2 0 0 2
DETROIT 0 0 0 0 FINAL
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: SAN - (PP) MATTHEW CARLE 2 (JOE THORNTON, RYANE CLOWE) 9:45
SAN - MIKE GRIER 2 (PAT RISSMILLER, CURTIS BROWN) 10:09
2ND PRD: NONE
3RD PRD: NONE
POWER-PLAY CONVERSIONS: SAN - 1 OF 1, DET - 0 OF 3.
SHOTS ON G
Apr 26 9:58 PM - PLAYOFFS
NHL END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
SAN JOSE 2 0 2
DETROIT 0 0 0 END OF THE 2ND
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: SAN - (PP) MATTHEW CARLE 2 (JOE THORNTON, RYANE CLOWE) 9:45
SAN - MIKE GRIER 2 (PAT RISSMILLER, CURTIS BROWN) 10:09
2ND PRD: NONE
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
Apr 26 9:09 PM - PLAYOFFS
NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
SAN JOSE 2 2
DETROIT 0 0 END OF THE 1ST
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: SAN - (PP) MATTHEW CARLE 2 (JOE THORNTON, RYANE CLOWE) 9:45
SAN - MIKE GRIER 2 (PAT RISSMILLER, CURTIS BROWN) 10:09
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
SAN 10
Apr 26 8:16 PM - PLAYOFFS
NHL SAN JOSE 2
DETROIT 0
1ST PRD: SAN - MIKE GRIER 2 (PAT RISSMILLER, CURTIS BROWN) 10:09
Sharks vs. Red WingsApr 26 7:59 PM - PLAYOFFS
NHL SAN JOSE 1
DETROIT 0
1ST PRD: SAN - (PP) MATTHEW CARLE 2 (JOE THORNTON, MIKE GRIER) 9:45
Sharks vs. Red WingsApr 26 7:59 PM
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