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Sharks look for sixth win in seven games vs. Red Wings

Oct 19, 2006 - 1:20 PM Detroit (3-2-1) at San Jose (5-1-0) 10:30 pm EDT

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - After becoming the first team to defeat the Dallas Stars this season, the San Jose Sharks are feeling great.

The Sharks will have the luxury of calling upon either Vesa Toskala or Evgeni Nabokov in goal when they go for their sixth win in seven games with Thursday's encounter with the Detroit Red Wings.

Although Toskala has a 10-game winning streak in regular-season games, Nabokov has both shutouts for the Sharks this season. He turned aside 32 shots for his 29th career shutout in Tuesday's 2-0 triumph over the previously unbeaten Stars.

Milan Michalek scored his team-leading fifth goal and Mark Bell added his second after missing four games with a groin injury. They helped prolong San Jose's best start to a season and moved the Sharks into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division.

Playing the second of a four-game Western road trip, Detroit gave up season highs in goals and shots (31) in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

The Red Wings entered allowing a league-low nine goals for the season and an average of 18 shots. However, they failed to score on eight power-play opportunities and committed 14 penalties against Anaheim.

Tomas Kopecky spoiled Jean-Sebastien Giguere's shutout bid when he scored his first career goal for Detroit with 5:36 left in the third period.

The Red Wings won three of the four meetings against the Ducks last season, including a 3-1 victory in their last encounter on March 15.