May 3, 2010
Detroit-San Jose: Put The “D” Back In Detroit; Red Wings Drop Game Two To Sharks
The Detroit Red Wings haven’t been shorthanded 10 times in a Stanley Cup Playoff game since 1997.
But they found themselves in a strangely unfamiliar predicament Sunday night.
In their 4-3 Game Two loss to San Jose, they were in fact, shorthanded 10 times.
And the Sharks capitalized twice—rather, Joe Pavelski capitalized twice.
The Sharks’ young-gun scored his eighth and ninth goal of the postseason, and is quickly becoming the second round’s x-factor, go-to-guy and game changer—get the point?
You can’t blame Jimmy Howard this time for the defeat.
He was more than solid between the pipes.
There just wasn’t anyone to help him out in the scrums that were in front of the net. Howard made acrobatic save after save, but he he was left to defend the goal virtually alone.
Pavelski’s Sharks looked quicker, stronger and better prepared than Mike Babcock’s club. The line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley gave the Wings fits.
Thornton netted his first puck of the playoffs, and the Heatley-Marleau connection afforded opportunities for their teammates three times.
The Red Wing blue-liners were nowhere in sight. It wasn’t just Niklas Lidstrom’s broken stick that led to Shark goals—it was the lack of intensity on the part of Detroit’s defense.
If the Wings want to win Game Three at the Joe (Louis Arena) on Tuesday night, they have to put the “D” back in Detroit.
It’s not going to be an easy task to come back from a 2-0 deficit. Especially considering how potent San Jose’s top-two lines have proved to be.
Pavel Datsyuk, Brad Stuart and Justin Abdelkader have been arguably Detroit’s driving force in the last handful of playoff games.
But they can’t do it themselves.
It’s time for a wake-up call for the men in the red and white sweaters. Who’s going to deliver it?
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
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- San Jose Sharks Can’t Take Detroit Red Wings Lightly
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- Stanley Cup Playoffs: Sharks Bite Detroit, End Red Wings’ Cup Run in Game Five
- San Jose Sharks-Detroit Red Wings: Series’ Top Three Stars
- San Jose Sharks Dominant in Season Series Clincher Vs. Detroit Red Wings
