DETROIT, Mich. – In another one-goal game the Detroit Red Wings prevailed in a see-saw match to send the series back to San Jose for game five.
With their backs against the wall, the Detroit Red Wings came out flying in game four of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Todd Bertuzzi got the Red Wings off to a fast start when he sent a backhand shot past Antti Niemi at 6:22 of the opening frame. Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary assisted on the game’s first goal.
Detroit then took the first-two goal lead of the series, when Nicklas Lidstrom sent a slap shot past Niemi at 11:09, as Cleary and Bertuzzi recorded their second points of the game with assists on the goal.
Lidstrom then gave the Red Wings a huge three goal lead, as he beat Niemi with a terrific play, as he batted the puck out of the air to score a power play goal. The goal came as Ian White was serving an interference penalty. Zetterberg collected his second assist of the period with Pavel Datsyuk also earning a helper on the power play goal.
With Detroit totally out playing the Sharks, Logan Couture managed to give San Jose a little life, when he tallied a goal just fifteen seconds later. Couture tipped a shot by Ryan Clowe to give the Sharks a little confidence heading into the first intermission.
The Sharks came out in the second period with new determination and began to play a more physical game. Dan Boyle got the Sharks closer, as he scored on a wrist shot at 13:44 on a pass in the slot from Kyle Wellwood. San Jose managed to kill off three penalties in the period to stay within striking distance.
San Jose fought all the way back, as Danny Heatley put the puck past Jimmy Howard at 1:14 of the third period. Clowe, who recorded the third assist of the game, sent a pass from behind the net to Heatley, who was camped out in front of the net and flicked a wrist shot past the Red Wing’s goalie. Couture earned his second point of the game on Heatley’s goal.
Detroit then mounted a late period surge to earn a hard fought victory. After a turnover by Joe Thornton, Detroit kept the play in their end of the ice for nearly the final three minutes of the game. With continuous pressure on Niemi, Darren Helm scored the game winner on a pass from Patrick Eaves. After giving up a rebound, Niemi was out of position to stop the game winner from Helm.
San Jose pulled Niemi off the ice for an extra skater in the final minute and managed a few good scoring chances that Howard was able to stop and preserve the Detroit win.
The teams now head back to San Jose on Sunday as the Sharks will try again to close out the series.
Contact the writer at Jack.Lima@prohockeynews.com
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