NHL: Sharks Lose Game 5 to Wings

May 5, 2007

''Detroit leads series 3-2. (Best of Seven)''

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg each scored a goal and set up two others Saturday, leading the Detroit Red Wings past the San Jose Sharks 4-1 and within one victory of reaching the Western Conference finals.

Detroit is ahead 3-2 and can close this conference semifinal Monday night in San Jose.

The Red Wings outhit and outshot the Sharks in Game 5, but they also had some luck.

Datsyuk turned San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov's misplay into the winning goal late in the second period, and Nabokov didn't seem the same after that, surrendering a pair of third-period power-play goals.

With the Sharks circling in the Red Wings zone, Detroit cleared the puck into San Jose territory. Nabokov left the goal to play the puck, but sent it straight into a charging Datsyuk. He scooped it up and sent it into an open net with 3:47 to play in the second.

Detroit, the top seed in the West, twice has come back from two-goal deficits to win games in this series, but needed only to erase a one-goal San Jose lead Saturday.

Unfortunately for the Sharks, blowing leads is becoming something of a habit. A year ago, they lost a 2-0 series lead over Edmonton in the conference semifinals.

Three Stars of the Game

 * #1 = Nicklas Lidstrom, D, Detroit Red Wings - 1 Assist
 * #2 = Tomas Holmstrom, LW, Detroit Red Wings - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
 * #3 = Henrik Zetterberg, LW, Detroit Red Wings - 1 Goal, 2 Assists