DETROIT, Mich. – For the second straight game, Detroit scored three unanswered third period goals, to cap an amazing comeback, to tie the series after losing the first three games. Detroit will try to become the fourth team in NHL history to overcome a three game deficit to win a playoff series.
Just as in game five, when Detroit’s Jimmy Howard kept the Red Wings in the game early with outstanding goaltending, Antti Niemi kept Detroit out of the net early in game six as the Red Wings swarmed the San Jose zone and outshot the Sharks 18-6 in the first period. Although Detroit did not score on a power play early in the period, they kept the momentum and applied continuous pressure on Niemi throughout the opening period.
Detroit kept the pressure on in the second period, although neither team scored. Detroit had two prime scoring chances, as the goal post and Niemi kept the game scoreless. At 4:35 of the period Pavel Datsyuk took a double minor penalty for holding and roughing.
Torrey Mitchell also took a roughing penalty at the same time, while the teams skated four-on-four for two minutes. With Dan Cleary in the penalty box serving Datsyuk’s extra penalty, neither team scored. As the penalties ended, Cleary streaked out of the box and got behind San Jose’s defense for a clear breakaway. Cleary beat Niemi and had an open net to shoot at, but slammed the puck off the goal post to keep the game scoreless.
Detroit had another great scoring chance late in the third period, during a power play, but Niemi robbed Cleary again, to send the teams to the locker rooms for the second period intermission with Detroit again ahead on the shot clock 31-13.
As Detroit continued to dominate the game early in the third period, San Jose broke through on the scoring column when Logan Couture trickled a shot past Jimmy Howard at 3:54 with Danny Heatley assisting on the goal. Detroit evened the score at 10:38 when Henrik Zetterberg tipped a Niklas Kronwall shot past Niemi. Valtteri Filppula started the scoring play by feeding a pass to Kronwall who then fired the puck towards the net.
Detroit quickly took the lead 1:54 later as the Red Wings converted a neutral zone turnover into the go-ahead goal. Datsyuk continued his stellar play, when he laced a perfect pass in front of the net to Filppula, who shot the puck past a sprawling Niemi. Darren Helm sent the Detroit fans into a frenzy as he scored an empty net goal at 18:55 to seal the Detroit victory with a final score of 3-1.
The series now returns to HP Pavilion in San Jose, on Thursday, for game seven and the right to face the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference finals.
Contact the writer at Jack.Lima@prohockeynews.com
