The Detroit Red Wings lost their third consecutive game Friday night, dropping a 4-2 decision to the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks scored three times in the second period to rally from down 1-0.
Henrik Zetterberg opened the game’s scoring with 7:40 left in the opening period. Nicklas Lidstrom fired a shot from the blue line intentionally wide of goalie Antti Niemi, banking the puck off the back boards to Zetterberg low in the right faceoff circle. Zetterberg banged the puck past Niemi for the early lead.
Detroit thought they had a 2-0 lead later in the period when Tomas Holmstrom knocked the puck past Niemi while sprawled out on the ice above the crease but the goal was called back for incidental contact.
Ryane Clowe got the Sharks on the board with a power play goal just 2:10 into the second. Clowe snuck down the left wing untouched as San Jose gained the zone. Marc-Eduard Vlasic worked the puck to Martin Havlat in the slot, who spun it on to the open Clowe for a wrister past Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard.
It was 2-1 San Jose at 7:57 of the second, with Patrick Marleau outracing Ian White to the puck and snapping a shot past Howard.
Holmstrom got a goal that counted with 5:16 remaining in the middle period, deflecting a Pavel Datsyuk power play shot into the net to tie things back up.
With just 1:42 left in the second period, Havlat sprung Joe Thornton for a breakaway, with Thornton beating Howard to make it 3-1.
Thornton added an empty net goal in the game’s final minute to wrap up the scoring.
Howard finished the night with 26 saves on 29 San Jose shots, including a perfect stretch early when the Sharks outshot Detroit 7-1. Niemi made 30 saves on 32 Detroit chances.
Each team scored a power play goal on the night, with Detroit getting four tries with the extra attacker and San Jose having three.
The Red Wings will look to end their skid Saturday night in Minnesota.
Cory Emmerton and Fabian Brunnstrom were the healthy scratches up front for Detroit… Defenseman Mike Commodore was cleared to return from his knee injury but did not play.
