NHL Playoffs 2011: Sharks-Wings Rewind and What to Expect in Game 7
It has all come down to a best of one.
On Thursday night, the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks will square off in a deciding Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinal series. The winner will go on to play the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Finals while the loser sets their tee times for Friday morning.
Both teams have the chops to make it to the conference finals. They have high-scoring forwards, steady defensemen and young goaltenders who have stepped up their game. Whoever makes it will definitely deserve it.
So who will it be? Will the Sharks make their second consecutive trip to the conference finals, or will the experienced Red Wings go in and take care of business like they have so many times before?
Before we answer that question, let's take a look back at how the series has gone so far.
Game 1: Sharks 2, Red Wings 1 (OT)
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Nicklas Lidstrom put Detroit on the board at 9:30 in the first and the Wings held down the fort until the third period. There, Joe Pavelski tallied a goal at 10:23 to force overtime.
An unlikely hero came through for San Jose when Benn Ferriero, a rookie celebrating his 24th birthday, scored the game-winning goal. What made the goal even more impressive was that he got it after just over five minutes of ice time.
Dan Boyle assisted on both Sharks goals. Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard still put on an impressive performance in defeat, stopping 44 of 46 San Jose shots.
Game 2: Sharks 2, Red Wings 1
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Ian White's first goal of the playoffs came on a power play at 4:54 of the first, and the Sharks didn't look back, pulling out their second straight 2-1 win.
Niclas Wallin also scored his first of the postseason at 1:39 of the third period to give San Jose a 2-0 lead. Henrik Zetterberg added a tally of his own at 13:58 of the third while the Wings were on a power play, but it wasn't enough.
Ryane Clowe had assists on both goals while Pavel Datsyuk picked up his second assist in two games on Zetterberg's goal.
Howard and Antti Niemi both turned in strong performances in goal. Nieme had 33 saves on 34 shots while Howard had 35 saves on 37 shots.
Game 3: Sharks 4, Red Wings 3 (OT)
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Devin Setoguchi had his first playoff hat trick, completing it by scoring the game-winning goal in overtime as the Sharks put a stranglehold on the Wings' playoff hopes. Setoguchi's hat trick included two power-play goals.
Detroit had two power-play goals of their own from Lidstrom and Datsyuk. The Wings were leading 3-2 after two periods, but Boyle's goal at 15:52 of the third forced the second overtime game in the series.
Joe Thornton finished with three assists while Zetterberg posted two helpers.
Niemi had 38 saves in the victory while Howard took the loss with 34 saves. Howard's performance included stopping 15 of 16 shots in the third.
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Game 4: Red Wings 4, Sharks 3
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Lidstrom scored two goals with the help of Zetterberg as the Wings staved off elimination with a 4-3 victory of their own.
The 41-year-old captain scored both of his goals in the first and Todd Bertuzzi added another to give Detroit a 3-1 lead heading into the locker room. Logan Couture scored for the Sharks in the first period.
The Wings were held off the board in the second period, as Niemi made 10 saves and Boyle scored to pull the Sharks within one. Dany Heatley tied things up at 1:14 of the third, but Darren Helm scored the goal that saved Detroit's season.
Clowe assisted on all three Sharks goals and Couture had a two-point night. Dan Cleary also had two assists for Detroit.
Niemi made 36 saves on 40 shots in the loss while Howard earned his first win of the series with 25 saves on 28 shots.
Game 5: Red Wings 4, Sharks 3
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The Sharks had a 2-0 lead in the second period when Niklas Kronwall scored at 16:25 to pull the Wings within one.
Early in the third period, Couture put San Jose up 3-1, but Detroit got goals from Jonathan Ericsson, Dan Cleary and Tomas Holmstrom in just over 10 minutes to secure the win.
Datsyuk finished the night with three assists while Kronwall picked up an assist on Cleary's goal for a two-point game. Nine different players put up a point apiece for San Jose.
Howard made 39 saves on 42 shots for his second win of the series while Niemi made just 18 saves on 22 shots in defeat.
Game 6: Red Wings 3, Sharks 1
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The Sharks and Wings played through two scoreless periods until Couture scored in the third to give San Jose the first goal.
However, Detroit had another three-goal period, getting tallies from Zetterberg, Valtteri Filppula and Darren Helm. Helm scored an empty-net goal at 18:55 of the third to put the game out of reach and force a Game 7.
Filppula also assisted on Zetterberg's goal to have a two-point night.
Niemi made 42 saves on 44 shots to take the loss, including 18 saves in the first period, while Howard got the series-tying win with 24 saves.
What to Expect in Game 7
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This is undoubtedly a tough game to call.
Both teams have winning records in seventh games in their histories. The Sharks have a 4-2 record in Game 7s while the Wings are 14-7.
The Sharks and Wings have met in the playoffs four times, with both teams having two series victories apiece. They met in the Western Conference Semifinals last year as well, with San Jose skating away with a five-game victory.
Obviously, that has not happened this year.
If the Wings come back and win the game tomorrow, they will be just the fourth team in NHL history to win a series after being down 3-0. The Philadelphia Flyers accomplished the feat last year by defeating the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Chicago Blackhawks attempted it against the Canucks this year, but they ultimately could not pull through.
Expect both teams to crash the net, as there have been a lot of 30- and 40-shot performances in this series. Furthermore, both goaltenders have risen to the occasion with impressive play regardless of the outcome.
Antti Niemi won a Stanley Cup last year with the Blackhawks, and he is no stranger to what it takes to win a clinching game. Howard will have the backing of an experienced Red Wings defensive corps and a winning attitude of his own.
The Wings will be trying to keep going for two of their veterans, Lidstrom and Mike Modano. Both are likely to retire after this season, and a series win would be bittersweet.
The Sharks will be out to prove something. If they lose the game Thursday night, they could be seen as playoff chokers again, a label they worked hard to drop in the 2010 playoffs. They do not want to forget what they did last year and they will not go down easy.
I feel this game will have a lot of offense and will probably go to overtime.
All of that being said, I am putting my money (the little amount I have) on the Wings. Their offense has been stronger this series, as evidenced by the three-goal periods they have put up. Furthermore, they have responded well to coach Mike Babcock so far, and he is arguably the best bench boss in the NHL today.
Who do you think will come out on top?
Let me know, and make sure you tune in to Game 7!
I, for one, can't wait.
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