San Jose
– The Detroit Red Wings could not protect an early 3-0 lead
Thursday night and dropped a 9-4 contest to the San Jose Sharks at
sold-out HP Pavilion at San Jose.
San Jose – The Detroit Red Wings could not protect an early 3-0 lead Thursday night and dropped a 9-4 contest to the San Jose Sharks at sold-out HP Pavilion at San Jose.
The Sharks continue a three-game homestand against the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday night.
San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov was pulled from the game in the first period for the second consecutive start, allowing three goals in the first 11:20 of Thursday’s play. Vesa Toskala finished the game to improve to 16-6 for the campaign.
The win left the Sharks with 54 points in 41 games halfway through the season. San Jose trails the Anaheim Ducks by eight points.
San Jose scored on four of 15 shots on net against veteran goalie Dominik Hasek in the second period to erase a 3-1 deficit.
A power play goal 4:53 into the second pulled the Sharks within one goal. Jonathan Cheechoo delivered a one-timer off a feed from Joe Pavelski with 40 seconds left on the extra-man opportunity.
Hustle from behind the Detroit net by Shark Marcel Goc led to the tying goal. Goc fought off a check and tried a wrap-around that Hasek repelled. Ryan Clowe tapped in the loose puck for his fourth goal of the season at 6:16.
Joe Thornton earned his second assist of the night when he found Christian Ehrhoff open at the Detroit blueline for a successful low shot under Hasek at the 14:09 mark, giving San Jose the 4-3 advantage.
Pavelski made it 5-3 with a wrap-around move that fooled Hasek at 16:54 during a power play.
San Jose leads the NHL in power play goals in the league with 52 by adding four extra-skater goals in the third period.
Mike Grier turned a Marleau feed into a 15-footer under Hasek at 6:03 to make it 6-3. Marleau pocketed his 18th goal of the season off a Thornton pass at 7:26. Thornton’s four points pushed him among the top 10 in the league. Grier found the net at 11:38 off a Marleau feed, chasing Hasek from the game. Marleau overtook Owen Nolan for the franchise points lead with 453 with the final helper.
Clowe’s point-blank put-back goal at 15:06 established a franchise record with six power-play goals. Detroit finished the scoring with a Brett Lebda goal at 18:18.
Jiri Hudler opened the scoring by wristing a 20-foot shot past Nabokov 3:18 into action.
The Red Wings converted their lone power play of the first period into a 2-0 margin at 8:47. Grier was called for hooking at 7:31. Detroit made San Jose pay when veteran Tomas Holmstrom parked in front of Nabokov and redirected a shot from defenseman Mathieu Schneider past Nabokov.
When Jason Williams pounced on a turnover in the Detroit zone and turned the mistake into a breakaway and slapshot over Nabokov’s right shoulder at the 11:20 mark, the visitors had a 3-0 lead.
San Jose solved Hasek with 14:24 gone in the first period. Thornton began the play by controlling the puck in the right corner of the Detroit zone before finding defenseman Josh Gorges unmarked at the blueline. Gorges uncorked a hard shot that appeared to glance off Marleau’s stick and then settle inside the left goalpost. Gorges was credited with his first NHL goal in his 79th game.
