Red Wings Down 0-3 in Series with Sharks after OT Loss

For the second consecutive postseason, the Detroit Red Wings blew a third-period lead in Game Three of a Western Conference Semifinal matchup with the San Jose Sharks, falling in overtime and dropping to 0-3 in the series.

Last season, Patrick Marleau scored in overtime to give the Sharks a 3-0 series lead. Tonight it was Devon Setoguchi completing the hat trick to give San Jose a 4-3 win.

Joe Thornton gained the Detroit zone down the right wing and stepped around defenseman Jonathan Ericsson, slowing up to drop a pass to the top of the right faceoff circle. Setoguchi got to the puck and flung a shot that deflected off the stick of Henrik Zetterberg and past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard at 9:21 of the extra frame.

Dan Boyle had tied the game up with 4:08 remaining, pinching in to the slot and taking a blind backhand pass from Kyle Wellwood, snapping the puck past Howard.

Setoguchi had opened the game’s scoring with 7:03 left in the opening period. With San Jose on the power play, Joe Pavelski’s shot went off the glass and bounced to Thornton. Thornton threw it to the front of the net highm with Setoguchi knocking it down into his skates and then whacking it into the net.

Nicklas Lidstrom tied things up, getting Detroit on the board with a power play goal of their own. With 22 seconds left in the first, the Sharks were scrambling in their own zone. Henrik Zetterberg got the puck in the left faceoff circle and sent a between-the-legs pass to Lidstrom for a one-timer from the slot past the sprawling Antti Niemi.

Patrick Eaves made it 2-1 with 6:01 left in the second period, backhanding a loose puck into the open side of the net after Darren Helm lost it on a wraparound attempt.

Setoguchi’s second tied things back up just 50 seconds later. On another San Jose power play, Setoguchi’s stick broke on a one-timer from the left circle but the off-speed shot slid past Howard, who was moving laterally to cut off the expected hard shot.

Pavel Datsyuk put Detroit back out in front with 1:43 left in the middle period, snapping a shot from the left circle past Niemi.

Each team scored twice on four power play tries on the night.

Howard stopped 34 of the 38 shots he faced while Niemi made 38 saves on 41 shots.

Game Four will be Friday night in Detroit.

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Kris Draper was inserted into the Detroit lineup, replacing Drew Miller.