Detroit vs. San Jose – Anyone who has been following this series has been treated to something special. Much like Chicago in the quarterfinals, Detroit has clawed their way back from a 3-0 series deficit to find themselves trying to make history. Unlike the Chicago/Vancouver series, though, this one has been decided entirely by close games. That was the case again last night.
Throughout the first and second periods, Detroit dominated play. In fact, they out-shot San Jose 32-13 during that time. Despite continuous pressure, they couldn’t find the back of the net. Detroit found themselves with a number of wide open net opportunities, but thanks to great defense by Dan Boyle, and a little bit of luck from the post, the Wings were unable to capitalize. After two periods, the scoreboard remained empty.
Early in the third period, Logan Couture put San Jose on the board when a shot slipped through Jimmy Howard’s pads. He was able to collect the puck afterwards, but it had already crossed the goal line. That quick strike gave the Sharks a bit of momentum, but it didn’t last long. At 10:38 of the final period, Valterri Filppula hit a streaking Niklas Kronwall who fired a shot on goal. Before arriving, Henrik Zetterberg managed to get a piece of the puck and sent it past the glove of Antti Niemi to tie the game 1-1. Just under two minutes later, the Red Wings would strike again. This time, it was Filppula with the goal, coming on a great pass from Pavel Datsyuk.
With the Wings ahead 2-1, and a little over six minutes to play, Justin Abdelkader took a bad holding penalty. The Sharks had a great opportunity to tie things up, but thanks to a great penalty kill, and oustanding effort from Jimmy Howard, Abdelkader left the box with the Wings still up 2-1. Detroit managed to hold off the Sharks attack, and with 1:05 remaining, Darren Helm scored the empty netter to seal the game. Detroit claws their way back into the series, and will now head back to San Jose for game seven.
Despite the loss, Antti Niemi had a phenomenal game. I think game six was his best of the series, as he made 42 saves in a game that seemed to be dominated by the Wings. For a goalie that looked to be sub-par, he has really had a great series. You also have to wonder how much the absence of Ryane Clowe hurt the Sharks. He has been a crucial member of their post-season run, and actually leads the team in points. Would the matchup have been a little more even had Clowe made the trip to Detroit?
For Detroit, there are a lot of guys worth mentioning for their great efforts. Valterri Filppula had his best game of the series, and played with a lot of confidence. His goal and assist were very clutch for the Wings. Danny Cleary had another great game, but he couldn’t manage to find the scoresheet. He did, however, deke the jockstrap off Niemi on a breakaway, but was unable to finish the effort as he hit the post. Datsyuk had another marvelous game, even getting involved in some of the physical game, proving that he is not going to be pushed around. The Datsyuk assist builds on his team lead in points during the playoffs. He now has 14 points, including 3 goals and 11 assists. The assists are really beginning to pile up now as he is shooting the puck far less against San Jose.
Look for game seven between these two teams to be more evenly matched. I think we’ll see some sustained pressure from Detroit, but a little bit more back and forth than we had in game six. It will be a great game to watch, though, but with the veterans and leadership in the Detroit locker room, I expect them to complete the comeback and skate away with the victory.
