(Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings will try to avoid falling behind three games to none in the Western Conference semifinals, when the two-time defending Western Conference champions host the top-seeded San Jose Sharks tonight at Joe Louis Arena.
7:30 P.M.: Wings Return Home With Hopes Of Getting Back Into Series With Sharks
The Sharks have grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series by posting a pair of 4-3 victories on home ice in Games 1 and 2.
Detroit, which will also host Game 4 on Thursday, was just 1-2 on home ice in its first-round victory over Phoenix, but the fifth-seeded Red Wings did post a solid 25-10-6 record in the Motor City during the regular season.
The Red Wings, who won the Stanley Cup two years ago before losing in the final round to Pittsburgh in 2009, last won a series when trailing 2-0 against Vancouver in the first round of the 2002 playoffs. Detroit has a 5-15 all-time series record when losing Games 1 and 2.
San Jose, which is trying to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2004, recorded a 24-14-3 road record in 2009-10 and was 2-1 as the visiting club in the conference quarters against Colorado.
“We face a very tough task,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “There’s been many teams that have been up against that group before and haven’t finished the task or restarted the task if you will. I don’t think you carry momentum over from one game to the next. You have to reestablish it and we’ll be looking to do that early in Game 3.”
Joe Pavelski continued his amazing postseason for the Sharks with two goals and an assist in San Jose's Game 2 victory, but it was Joe Thornton who came through with the game-winning goal. Thornton's rebound tally with 7:23 left in the third period gave San Jose the lead for good as the Sharks rallied after trailing 3-2 heading into the final 20 minutes.
The Sharks went 2-for-10 on the power play and their comeback was aided by the fact that Detroit was whistled for five penalties in the third period alone.
Both of Pavelski's goals on Sunday came on the power play and the American scored for a fifth straight game. He also became the first player to have three straight multi-goal games in the playoffs since Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux in 1992. Pavelski upped his total to a league-leading nine goals and he also has recorded five assists in these playoffs. His 14 points trail only Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who has 16 points in this postseason.
"A guy who is creating for himself out there, you don't have to force anything into him," Sharks center Manny Malhotra said of Pavelski. "The puck is following him around. He's making things happen for himself, for his lines."
Ryane Clowe also scored on Sunday and Dany Heatley added three helpers for the Sharks. Evgeni Nabokov continued his strong play in net, stopping 28 shots in the win.
Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and an assist for Detroit, which also received scores from Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom. Jimmy Howard made 41 saves, but the Red Wings were dealt their second straight close loss to begin this series.
“We can’t be going to the box,” said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, who will coach his 100th career playoff game tonight. “We have to look after our own sticks, our own play. It can’t be 10-4 (power plays). You can’t have momentum when half your players don’t get on the ice because they’re sitting in the penalty box all night long. It’s pretty hard to have a rhythm and pretty hard to get everyone going.”
Red Wings winger Patrick Eaves missed Sunday's test after suffering an arm injury in Game 1. Eaves had 12 goals during the regular season, but has yet to register a point in eight postseason games this year. He is questionable for tonight.
Detroit went 3-0-1 in the regular season versus San Jose. The Red Wings won the first three meetings before a 3-2 shootout loss on Feb. 11 in which Nabokov made 50 saves.
Detroit and San Jose have met three times previously in the postseason with the Red Wings winning the last two series. The two clubs last met in the 2007 conference semifinals, with Detroit advancing in six games.
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