Special Teams Front-and-Center as Red Wings Beat Sharks

The Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks leaned heavily on their special teams for scoring Saturday night, with only three of their combined nine goals coming at even-strength. All three of San Jose’s goals came on the power play but it wasn’t enough to stop Detroit from picking up the 6-3 win.

The Red Wings scored three times while skating five-on-five, once while shorthanded, once on a four-on-three and one more time with a two-man advantage.

Detroit opened the scoring 6:53 into the game on a goal by Henrik Zetterberg.

Nicklas Lidstrom worked the puck down low to Pavel Datsyuk who send a blind backhand cross-ice pass to Zetterberg in front of the net for a tap-in.

It was the only goal of the first period. The second period would be much more eventful, with six goals and eight penalties.

Kris Draper’s shorthanded goal put the Red Wings up by a pair just 54 seconds into the period but Devin Setoguchi got the Sharks back within one on the same power play 32 seconds later.

Jonathan Cheechoo tied the game on another power play at 7:42, moving to go behind the net with the puck but then coming back out front and stuffing it in after goalie Dominik Hasek had moved off the post.

Niklas Kronwall put the Red Wings back out in front halfway through the period. With both teams scrambling and netminder Evgeni Nabokov out of position, Kronwall raced down low to grab the loose puck and throw it back out front. It deflected off of Sandis Ozolinsh and into the net.

Lidstrom added another on a blast from the point with 6:45 left and the Red Wings skating four-on-three. Just 2:12 later, Tomas Holmstrom tipped a Brian Rafalski shot past Nabokov on a five-on-three.

Steve Bernier pulled the Sharks back to within two goals 47 seconds into the third period, putting the puck into an open net with Hasek out of position on a San Jose power play.

Dan Cleary finished off the game’s scoring, getting the puck from Zetterberg on a two-on-one and putting it past Nabokov.

The Red Wings finished the night two-for-five on the power play while the Sharks went three-for-six.

Hasek made 15 saves on 18 shots and Nabokov stopped 22 of 28 chances.