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Zetterberg, Red Wings to face Nabokov, Sharks

Jan 19, 2008 - 3:00 PM Detroit (34-10-4) at San Jose (25-14-7) 10:30 pm EST

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - The Detroit Red Wings own the most explosive offensive attack in the NHL. The San Jose Sharks rank among the leaders in defense.

Something will have to give when the Sharks host the Red Wings in a battle of Western Conference powers on Saturday.

Detroit snapped a season-long three-game slide with a 3-2 shootout win over Vancouver on Thursday. Right wing Daniel Cleary had both regulation tallies and Henrik Zetterberg registered the lone goal in the shootout as the Red Wings pushed their league-leading point total to 72 after just 48 games.

Zetterberg leads an attack that has scored 163 goals this season - tops in the NHL - and converts 21.9 percent of their power play opportunities. Detroit is fully healthy, with Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom back on the top line after each missed time with injuries over the past few weeks.

A fully-stocked Red Wings lineup is the last thing Evgeni Nabokov and San Jose needs to see. Nabokov, who leads the league with 25 wins and boasts a 2.10 goals against average, has lost his last two starts while yielding nine goals.

The All-Star netminder got his first day off of the season on January 13 and has been slow to respond since moving back into the lineup.

Detroit has always been a challenge for the Russian goaltender. He owns a 0-5-1 record with a 4.50 GAA against the Wings in his last six starts, including allowing nine goals in two losses already this season.

No slouches on defense itself, Detroit has allowed the fewest goals in the Western Conference due in no small part to the play of goaltenders Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek, who rank first and seventh, respectively, in GAA.