SAN JOSE, California -- The Detroit Red Wings rallied from two goals down to force overtime Wednesday night, then scored with 3:56 remaining in the extra period to earn a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks and even their Western Conference Semifinal series at two wins apiece.
Mathieu Schneider scored the game-winning goal for the Red Wings on their lone power play attempt of the extra frame.
San Jose defenseman Scott Hannan attempted to clear the puck from the side of the net up the middle of the ice and Schneider knocked it down, settling it for a blast on net that deflected off a defender and under the crossbar.
Detroit forced overtime when Robert Lang scored with 34 seconds remaining in regulation.
Rookie Valtteri Filppula carried into the San Jose zone along the left wing and pushed a pass off to Lang, who skated to the top of the left circle and blasted a shot through goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.
Tomas Holmstrom, playing in his first game of the series after suffering an eye injury in overtime of Detroit's series-clinching win against Calgary, got the Red Wings on the board with just 5 seconds remaining in the second period.
With the Red Wings starting a power play in the San Jose zone, Henrik Zetterberg won a draw back to Schneider at the blue line, who moved it to Nicklas Lidstrom for a shot on net that was blocked into the air. Holmstrom batted the puck in behind Nabokov to cut San Jose's lead to 2-1.
The Sharks got on the board with 2:08 remaining in the first period when Todd Bertuzzi lost the puck along the right wing boards in the Detroit end. Milan Michalek and Joe Thornton combined to get the puck to Jonathan Cheechoo on the far side of the ice for a one-timer past Detroit netminder Dominik Hasek.
A fluky goal by Marcel Goc extended the Sharks' lead at 8:07 of the second. Goc put a shot on net from the right wing boards that deflected off the head of Red Wings' defender Andreas Lilja before floating over Hasek and into the net.
All of Detroit's goals came with an extra attacker. Holmstrom and Schneider scored on two of the Red Wings' five power play attempts and Lang's marker came with Hasek on the bench for a sixth skater.
The Sharks were held without a power play goal on five tries.
Hasek made 25 saves on 27 shots against on the night. Nabokov stopped 46 of 49 shots against.
The series now shifts back to Detroit for game five on Saturday afternoon. Game six will be on Monday night from San Jose, while a possible game seven would be in Detroit next Wednesday.
I'm skipping ahead to Game Four right now 'cause it's been announced that Homer will return for that one. The Detroit News has it among many other places.
I'd be surprised if it wasn't Kyle Calder coming out to make room for him. Reports are he's playing with a broken hand. Too bad the Wings don't have a healthy extra center floating around, Lang could come out then, too.
Now tonight's game is really frikkin' huge for Detroit. A win and it's a 3-game series with home ice. A loss and they need to win three straight to stay alive.
The last time the Wings won a series after losing Game Three to go down 2-1 was in 1998, a first-round matchup against the Coyotes that they won in six games.
The last time they won a series after going down 3-1 was in 1992, when they came back to beat the Minnesota North Stars in the first round before being swept by a Finals-bound Chicago team in the Norris Division Finals.
Minnesota North Stars and the Norris Division... That was a long time ago. Nicklas Lidstrom is the only Red Wing left from the team that did that, the then-21-year-old played all 11 games of the playoffs in his first season with Detroit.
wow Calder is playing with a broken hand.. that sucks because he is a good away/grinder player. Homer is back for game four cool. Hopefully he can play tonight.
Calder, even with the broken hand, stays in tonight. Hudler comes out to make room for Homer.
Down 1-0 after one. Not the end of the world by far but it would have been really nice to get the first goal. At least the power play got a lot of chances, hopefully they can use that to get some momentum to start the second.
Did you know that there is absolutely nothing interesting about the Detroit Red Wings? That's what Versus would have me believe. All of the "personal interest" stories have been about the Sharks.
San Jose's goal? You could see it coming as soon as Detroit didn't clear. Ugly breakdown by the Wings, specifically Bertuzzi. You have got to clear when you get it out there.
Down 1-0 after one. Not the end of the world by far but it would have been really nice to get the first goal. At least the power play got a lot of chances, hopefully they can use that to get some momentum to start the second.
Did you know that there is absolutely nothing interesting about the Detroit Red Wings? That's what Versus would have me believe. All of the "personal interest" stories have been about the Sharks.
San Jose's goal? You could see it coming as soon as Detroit didn't clear. Ugly breakdown by the Wings, specifically Bertuzzi. You have got to clear when you get it out there.
The Bertuzzi, Lang and Samuelson line ....
and now, another WING breakdown ...
This one has taken an ugly turn.
Nice, Versus review shows too many men on the ice for San Jose but the refs were too busy fellating Thornton to catch it, even though they had no problem with it when it was on Detroit. Consistency!
Heh, Zetterberg gets held up going to the net old-NHL style. "We've seen a lot of penalties called this postseason that looked a lot like that."
Consistency! Is it a f*cking penalty or not?!
Holmstrom motherbitches!
YEEEA what hand eye coordination, Homer in front scores out of mid air at the end of the 2nd!
Well its SHOW TIME .... Its time for some RED WINGS to step to the plate.This is the Period the WINGS must change things around to extend their playoff hopes. I'm thinking a couple WINGS are going to pull a CHARACTER win tonight.
Otherwise .... I'm predicting a SHARK upset in this series. Anyone else want to expound??
Heh, so your prediction is that if the Wings fall down 3-1, having lost 3 of 4 games, they won't win 3 in a row take the series? Doesn't seem like going out on much of a limb there. 
Hopefully it won't come to that, Wings are still buzzing but they're running out of time.
Heh, so your prediction is that if the Wings fall down 3-1, having lost 3 of 4 games, they won't win 3 in a row take the series? Doesn't seem like going out on much of a limb there.
Hopefully it won't come to that, Wings are still buzzing but they're running out of time.
HaHa, you're right ... WINGS down 3-1 .... hmmm, well I guess we could hope for a miracle ..... its not out of the realm of possibilities .....
Just when I was about to bitch about Lang for all those giveaways!
Well, like I've been saying ... all my bitchin about LANG was for a REASON !!!!! Haha
We go to overtime. I need a nap.
The Good luck ICE CREAM WORKED!!! Lang w/ 30 seconds left ties the GAME!!!! I said I wouldn't give up on him.
We go to overtime. I need a nap.
Give LANG a cigar ........ Talk about a "TIMELY" goal ......
My gawd, if the WINGS don't win this one in OT ... I'm gonna have a break-down!
At least they're fighting back and not letting San Jose take the series lead. Good effort even if they don't come out on the good side.
The Good luck ICE CREAM WORKED!!! Lang w/ 30 seconds left ties the GAME!!!! I said I wouldn't give up on him.
Haha ... I've gave up on him several times in the last 20 games ... thank gawd I did, cuz each time I said he should try a different sport, he's come thru with a goal or an assist ....
WINGS have to do better clearing the puck .... giving too many Opportunites to the SHARKS!!!
Gawd I feel bad for GUERIN! Nasty cut to the face.....
Who's gonna be the HERO? We need a ROLE player to step up.
You seriously want to tell me that none of these San Jose hooks have been as bad as the Schneider one?
Delay of game! Come on, let's get a good power play here!
Matt f*cking Schneider!
Whew! My fingernails are a little bit shorter .............. Gawd they made me nervous this game .... They can't keep doing this -- coming back 2 goals down to win games in OT -- There's an easier way Guys!
YEAAAAAAA SHneider with the WInnar. Best shot on the team!
This Makes GAME #5 SOOOOOOOOO Important now~ AND with the series going back to MOTOWN -- The WINGS have the advantage! And guess what guys? I got tickets!!!!! Hahaha
This Makes GAME #5 SOOOOOOOOO Important now~ AND with the series going back to MOTOWN -- The WINGS have the advantage! And guess what guys? I got tickets!!!!! Hahaha
I have tickets for Section 203 .... $138 ..... they gotta win
Heh, that's gonna make the gameday thread pretty quiet here, I'll be at the game as well. Section 212B, trying to decide whether to wear my Holmstrom or Filppula jersey (which finally shipped and will arrive on Friday, just in time to break them out for the game).
Does homer have a hamstring injury now? He left in the overtime to the wings lockerroom
He's got an extra day in between Game Four and Game Five, so whatever it is I hope he can bounce back.
Heh, that's gonna make the gameday thread pretty quiet here, I'll be at the game as well. Section 212B, trying to decide whether to wear my Holmstrom or Filppula jersey (which finally shipped and will arrive on Friday, just in time to break them out for the game).
I'll have to check my seats and let you know where I'm gonna be ... I know its section 203, but I don't have the tickets in front of me to give you any more detail
Heh, that's gonna make the gameday thread pretty quiet here, I'll be at the game as well. Section 212B, trying to decide whether to wear my Holmstrom or Filppula jersey (which finally shipped and will arrive on Friday, just in time to break them out for the game).
I'll have to check my seats and let you know where I'm gonna be ... I know its section 203, but I don't have the tickets in front of me to give you any more detail
Not that Homer I'd turn down a HOMER jersey, but I like Filpula right now .... so that's the # I'd be wearing .... I don't have any of the new guys jersey's, I have a FEDOROV, KOZOV and one without a name ... guess I gotta go with the NO NAME
Heh, that's gonna make the gameday thread pretty quiet here, I'll be at the game as well. Section 212B, trying to decide whether to wear my Holmstrom or Filppula jersey (which finally shipped and will arrive on Friday, just in time to break them out for the game).
Clark, I'll be in Section 203B, Row 12 ... WINGS defend that end for two periods ..... We're in opposite corners ...
Not that Homer I'd turn down a HOMER jersey, but I like Filpula right now .... so that's the # I'd be wearing .... I don't have any of the new guys jersey's, I have a FEDOROV, KOZOV and one without a name ... guess I gotta go with the NO NAME
Yeah, I like Fil too but the Holmstrom jersey has the one-game Dan Snyder memorial patch on it, and I like my weird jerseys.
Actually, I've been having way too much fun on eBay lately so my Filppula jersey is going to get sent back after the playoffs to have the Yzerman Night patch added to it, since I managed to pick up one of those last week. Also got a mid-90s Western Conference All-Star jersey and the 1996 Boston ASG patch, so I'm going to send that in and have Osgood #31 added to it.
Not that Homer I'd turn down a HOMER jersey, but I like Filpula right now .... so that's the # I'd be wearing .... I don't have any of the new guys jersey's, I have a FEDOROV, KOZOV and one without a name ... guess I gotta go with the NO NAME
Yeah, I like Fil too but the Holmstrom jersey has the one-game Dan Snyder memorial patch on it, and I like my weird jerseys.Actually, I've been having way too much fun on eBay lately so my Filppula jersey is going to get sent back after the playoffs to have the Yzerman Night patch added to it, since I managed to pick up one of those last week. Also got a mid-90s Western Conference All-Star jersey and the 1996 Boston ASG patch, so I'm going to send that in and have Osgood #31 added to it.
Wow! Some nice stuff! I know what you're talking about with the eBay thing .... I'm "IN" to the Red Wing memorabilia too, but I haven't gotten any in a while. I had been looking for vintage stuff. Won't take much to get me "hooked" in on eBay again. As for the jerseys, I have KOZLOV #13. I always liked him when he wore the Winged Wheel ..... Gawd I could go on and on about he "old" timers too.... 
Well, we should exchange cell #s and at least say "hi" at the game on Saturday. If you're interested, just E-mail me on here. 
Looks like Holmstrom was only off the ice for a broken skate blade...
http://www.detnews.c.../705030344/1128
Good to hear, no reason for him to miss Game Five.
Hey CJ cousin Mike...big win last night. Just read some of your recent post, I went to last Saturdays game and wore my autographed Datsyuk jersey...played out well since he got the game winner. That place was freaking loud. Hope you get the same result this Saturday, only difference is that they win by a few more goals, these close games are killing me.
Hey Mike, should have known you'd pick a name like that. 
I'm hoping for the same kind of result you guys had. I don't care if it's a blowout (though that'd be nice) or an OT game, as long as it's a win.
I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty amazed that they won.
WE HAVE TO WIN TOMORROW.
I think that if the Sharks win tomorrow, we won't be able to recover from their momentum. They're too good!
So lets do it in MOTOWN!
hey drwmike if either team wins tomorrow I'll be shocked
The game is Saturday right? not tomorrow being Friday.
Game 5: Saturday, 2PM @ Joe Louis Arena on NBC.
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