Red Wings rally, on track to repeat Flyers' history of '10
The Detroit Red Wings are going home with a chance to take a step toward history. Suddenly, that seems well within reach.
The Detroit Red Wings are going home with a chance to take a step toward history.
Suddenly, that seems well within reach.
Tomas Holmstrom broke a tie with 6 minutes, 8 seconds remaining, and the Red Wings scored three third-period goals to avoid elimination with a 4-3 victory over the host San Jose Sharks last night.
"There's a lot of character on this team. There's not any quit," said Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, who made 39 saves. "Our season was on the line there in the third period, and we found a way."
Danny Cleary and Jonathan Ericsson also scored in the final period to send the series back to Detroit for Game 6 tomorrow night. After winning the first three games, San Jose is clinging to a 3-2 lead.
Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi scored to help the Sharks take a 3-1 lead early in the third period. Then the Red Wings scored two quick goals before Holmstrom redirected the winner past Antti Niemi, leaving a sellout crowd stunned and silent.
Niklas Kronwell also scored and Pavel Datsyuk added three assists for Detroit.
"I think you put yourselves in a very dangerous position if you get back on your heels against that team," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "I didn't think we did that tonight. They just outplayed us in the third period."
The Red Wings moved closer to adding to their already storied history.
The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders and 2010 Flyers are the only teams to win a series after losing the first three games. With Chicago winning three straight to force a Game 7 against Vancouver in the opening round, that's enough precedent to give Detroit hope that it can push San Jose to the brink.
The Red Wings already have overcome a repeat of last season, when they went down 3-0 to the Sharks - just like this year - before being eliminated in Game 5 at San Jose.
No encore this time.
Detroit came back again with a strong push up ice and sent several shots at Niemi after going down two goals. In a span of 1:46, the Red Wings got a goal from Ericsson and another from Cleary on a wraparound shot for the equalizer.
Then Nicklas Lidstrom sent a slap shot from the center that was deflected on net by Holmstrom, redirected top shelf to beat Niemi and shock a towel-waving crowd that was ready to toast a berth in the Western Conference finals for the second straight season.
"I didn't know it went in right away," Holmstrom said. "But I saw the ref point at the net and I felt pretty good."
Said the Sharks' Joe Thornton: "When we go up 3-1, we usually finish teams off. They fought back very hard. We made a couple of careless plays and against their skilled players, they put those in."
Noteworthy
* Phoenix acquired center Ethan Werek from the New York Rangers in exchange for Swedish center Oscar Lindberg, in a swap of 19-year-olds.