Final
Red Wings set another record with win over Sharks
Feb 20, 2012 - 2:10 AM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings already own the NHL's single-season record for consecutive home victories. On Sunday, they set another record with a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.Henrik Zetterberg, Drew Miller and Darren Helm provided the goals for Detroit, which swept a six-game homestand to stretch its winning streak at Joe Louis Arena to 23 games.
The Red Wings broke the Boston Bruins' mark for the longest home winning streak over multiple seasons. The Bruins won their final 20 games of the 1929-30 season and opened the following campaign with a pair of home wins.
"It was a big game for us because to be a really good hockey team you have to pass the big tests," said Helm. "I thought we played well tonight and we're able to keep things rolling."
Joey MacDonald made 31 saves to win his sixth straight start in place of Jimmy Howard, who is recovering from a broken right index finger.
Antti Niemi stopped 25 shots for San Jose, which had won five straight against the Red Wings and four in a row in the Motor City.
"They defend pretty well over there and he (MacDonald) makes the big saves when they need him to," said San Jose forward Joe Pavelski.
The Sharks suffered their third consecutive loss to fall to 1-3-1 on a nine- game road trip.
Zetterberg whipped a backhander through traffic past Niemi, giving the Red Wings a 1-0 lead 6:30 into the game.
The teams traded goals in the second period, and Detroit's Justin Abdelkader had a role in both of them.
First, he drove down the slot and tipped Miller's pass. Niemi made the save on the deflection, but Miller followed up the play and buried the rebound for a 2-0 lead at 10:40.
Roughly four minutes later, the Sharks converted on a power play with an assist from the Red Wing forward. San Jose forward Logan Couture was positioned to MacDonald's right and swatted the puck out of the air. The disc bounced off the top of the net and was inadvertently knocked in by Abdelkader as it descended.
Detroit regained its two-goal lead when Helm, off a feed from Miller, scored on a one-timer in the high slot at 7:01 of the third period.
San Jose's Brent Burns picked off a poor clearing attempt by Detroit defenseman Ian White and Patrick Marleau wound up slipping the puck past a prone MacDonald with 4:44 to play.
The Sharks pulled Niemi in an effort to produce the equalizer, but to no avail.
Game Notes
San Jose center Michal Handzus played in his 900th career NHL game...The Sharks activated defenseman Jason Demers from injured reserve on Sunday. He had missed nine games with a lower-body injury.
- SAN JOSE: 2
DETROIT: 3
Final
Feb 19 3:12 PM - SAN JOSE: 1
DETROIT: 2
End of 2nd
Feb 19 2:11 PM - San Jose Power-Play Goal - Logan Couture (25), from Joe Thornton at 14:33.
Sharks 1, Red Wings 2 2nd - 5:27Feb 19 2:01 PM - Detroit Goal - Andrew Miller (12), from Justin Abdelkader at 10:40.
Sharks 0, Red Wings 2 2nd - 9:20Feb 19 1:50 PM - SAN JOSE: 0
DETROIT: 1
End of 1st
Feb 19 1:14 PM - Detroit Goal - Henrik Zetterberg, from Jonathan Ericsson at 6:30.
Sharks 0, Red Wings 1 1st - 13:30Feb 19 12:49 PM - SAN JOSE: 0
DETROIT: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Feb 19 12:39 PM
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