Final
Red Wings try to bounce back in Game 2 vs. Sharks
May 1, 2011 - 2:48 PM (Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings will try to rebound from an overtime loss when they visit the San Jose Sharks today for Game 2 of the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals at HP Pavilion.The Sharks and Red Wings are seeded second and third, respectively, in the West and are meeting in the conference semifinals for the second straight spring. Last year, San Jose ousted Detroit in five games before getting swept in the conference finals by Chicago.
Detroit carried a 1-0 lead into the third period of Friday's Game 1, but the Sharks would rally for the 2-1 victory. Joe Pavelski scored a power-play goal midway through the third to draw even with the Red Wings and Benn Ferriero tallied 7:03 into overtime to give San Jose the 1-0 lead in the series.
San Jose won all four of its games against the Red Wings in last year's playoffs by one-goal margins and Detroit's lone victory came in a 7-1 blowout.
Skating in his first NHL playoff game on his 24th birthday, Ferriero picked up the puck at the left boards and from the top of the circle he threw a shot on net that hit off the stick of Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart and went into the net.
"That was a huge game 'cause we needed to win this game and start the series on the right note," said San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle. "We could have got frustrated, which would have turned into mistakes, but we stuck with it and we're all feeling really good."
Antti Niemi stopped 24 shots for the Sharks to improve his career playoff record to 20-8. Niemi won a Stanley Cup as a rookie goaltender with Chicago last spring.
San Jose advanced to the semifinals this year with a six-game defeat of the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. Three of those wins came in overtime and San Jose is now 4-0 in overtime this postseason.
Nicklas Lidstrom scored the only goal for the Red Wings on Friday. Jimmy Howard was excellent in net, stopping 44 shots in the loss.
"I just want to do my job every night and give the guys a chance to win," said Howard. "They did a good job of tying sticks up and keeping them away from the net. It was just bad luck that we lost tonight."
The Red Wings were well-rested heading into this round, as they completed a sweep of Phoenix on April 20 before facing the Sharks on Friday.
Detroit, which won the Central Division this year, has revenge on their mind in this series as the 2010 postseason exit to San Jose marked the Red Wings' worst playoff run since losing to Edmonton in the first round in 2006.
Of course, Detroit won a Stanley Cup title in 2008 and lost in the final round the following year. The Red Wings battled Pittsburgh in both of those recent trips to the Cup Finals.
The Red Wings and Sharks have met four times in the playoffs and each club has won two series. Detroit last ousted San Jose in six games during the 2007 conference semifinals.
The Sharks had a 21-14-6 record on home ice during the regular season. They are just 2-2 at the Shark Tank in the playoffs
Detroit, which will host Games 3 and 4, had a phenomenal 26-11-4 record as the road club this season and is 2-1 as the guest in the postseason.
The Red Wings will host Game 3 on Wednesday.
- DETROIT: 1
SAN JOSE: 2
Final
May 1 6:07 PM - Detroit Power-Play Goal - Henrik Zetterberg, from Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom at 13:58.
Red Wings 1, Sharks 2 3rd - 6:02May 1 5:53 PM - DETROIT: 0
SAN JOSE: 1
End of 2nd
May 1 5:04 PM - DETROIT: 0
SAN JOSE: 1
End of 1st
May 1 4:00 PM - San Jose Power-Play Goal - Ian White, from Dany Heatley at 4:54.
Red Wings 0, Sharks 1 1st - 15:06May 1 3:30 PM - DETROIT: 0
SAN JOSE: 0
1st Period - 20:00
May 1 3:20 PM
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