Red Wings 2 - 1 Sharks
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Sharks aim to build momentum against visiting Wings

Feb 28, 2013 - 4:17 PM (Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks will try to log their first winning streak since their franchise-best start to the season as they play host to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

The Sharks have gone just 2-6-3 since opening the season with seven straight victories, though their two victories have come in the past four games. That includes Tuesday's 3-2 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche.

Michal Handzus and Patrick Marleau both scored in the shootout, while Antti Niemi made 25 saves through overtime and stopped 3-of-4 skaters faced in the breakaway session.

Logan Couture scored just 25 seconds into the game and T.J. Galiardi potted his first goal of the season as the Sharks blew a pair of one-goal leads before picking up the win.

"Of course you always want to win in regulation, but the important thing is that we got the two points," said Marleau. "This is a big win for us and hopefully we can build on this."

San Jose is eligible to have Ryane Clowe in the lineup after he served the second of a two-game suspension for an incident at Chicago on Feb. 22. The 30- year-old has zero goals and six assists in 16 games this season.

The Sharks will look to deal the Red Wings a second loss in a row after Detroit suffered a 2-1 setback to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.

Kyle Quincey scored his first goal of the season to give the Red Wings a first-period lead, but the Kings scored during a 5-on-3 advantage to tie the game in the third before Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar put home the winner with 4:48 to play.

Jimmy Howard was flawless through 40 minutes, but gave up both goals on 29 total shots faced.

"I've got to give us a chance to win, but it wasn't enough," Howard said.

The Red Wings fell to 7-2-0 when leading after two periods this season and 2-4-2 on the road.

Detroit also picked up the loss despite getting a pair of players back in the lineup for injury. Center Johan Franzen had missed seven straight due to a hip issue, while defenseman Brendan Smith played for the first time in 12 contests because of an injured shoulder.

The Red Wings have lost six of seven and seven of their last nine against the Sharks, including three straight in San Jose.






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