Detroit added to its lead in the Western Conference standings
Tuesday night with a 5-3 nod over the San Jose Sharks at soldout HP
Pavilion.
SAN JOSE
Detroit added to its lead in the Western Conference standings Tuesday night with a 5-3 nod over the San Jose Sharks at soldout HP Pavilion.
Sitting outside the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings after completing November’s play, the San Jose Sharks begin December’s road-dominated schedule Thursday night in Ottawa.
The Red Wings rushed to a 2-0 lead after 8:01 of action and never trailed to improve to 16-4-2.
San Jose plays 10 of 15 games in December on enemy ice. The Sharks are 4-4-2 in road action this year, 7-4-2 at home.
Henrik Zetterberg accounted for two goals and two assists for the Red Wings, his 121st career multi-point game.
Danny Heatley, Ben Ferriero and Tyane Clowe scored the Sharks goals, each time with San Jose facing either a two- or three-goal deficit.
The Red Wings needed 14 seconds of power play in the first period to take a 1-0 lead.
San Jose’s Jamal Mayers went to the penalty box at 4:36 for high-sticking Johan Franzen. After the visitors won the face-off, Valtteri Filppula drilled a cross-ice pass to Zetterberg outside the right circle. Zetterberg found Danny Cleary at the edge of the crease with a pass that Cleary converted into the 1-0 lead at 4:50.
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit’s top scorer entering play with 24 points, split the San Jose defense and beat goalie Antero Niittymaki at 8:01 to make it 2-0.
Heatley recorded his team-high 12th goal of the season at 9:35 of the first during a power play. Joe Thornton earned his team-high 17th assist when he sent a low shot from the right flank toward the net, the puck bounding off Heatley’s left skate and past goalie Jimmy Howard.
Detroit added another 2-1 edge in goals in the second period to take a 4-2 lead into the third period.
Zetterberg clubbed a shot from the low slot that rang off the right post and then off Niittymaki’s back before settling in the net at 2:58 of the second period.
Ferriero turned a long shot from the blue line by Derek Joslin into his second goal of the season at the 4:52 mark. Setting up in front of Howard, Ferriero, without facing the net, was able to pull the rebound back inside the right post.
Detroit regained the two-goal lead with 11 seconds left in the second when Patrick Eaves deflected a shot from the left boards by Cleary past Niittymaki.
Zetterberg turned a steal of a Mike Moore pass from the San Jose end zone into a goal at 7:55 of the third period. The Sharks responded with a goal at 17:28 when Clowe followed up Justin Braun’s slap shot from the blue line by jamming the rebound behind Howard.
The Sharks continue a five-game roadtrip Saturday in Montreal, then Detroit on Tuesday, Philadelphia Wednesday and Buffalo Thursday. San Jose’s next home game is Saturday, Dec. 11, against Chicago.
