Sharks at Red Wings
THE STORY: The San Jose Sharks have dealt with their share of struggles during a grueling nine-game road swing. Game five of the trek figures to be the most challenging of all as they tangle with a Detroit Red Wings club that has won a record 22 consecutive home games. Detroit kept the streak alive in style Friday night, as Pavel Datsyuk scored with five seconds remaining to help the Red Wings salvage a 2-1 triumph over Nashville. That victory made Detroit the first team to reach the 40-win plateau.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NHL Network Canada
ABOUT THE SHARKS (31-18-7): After head coach Todd McLellan ripped goaltender Antti Niemi following Thursday's 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay, he went with backup Thomas Greiss in Carolina one night later. Greiss was good, but not good enough as the Hurricanes posted a 3-2 victory to drop the Sharks to 1-2-1 on the trip. “I thought we lacked a lot of energy and jump and determination in the first two periods,” McLellan said. “They were bigger and stronger than we were, quite frankly.”
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (40-17-2): Detroit fans were dealt a scare when defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom took a shot off his foot in the third period of Friday's victory. Lidstrom said his foot went numb after absorbing the shot, but he iced it for 20 minutes afterward and declared himself fine. Lidstrom doesn't expect to miss any time – and that's great news for the Red Wings, who are 14-1-1 in their last 16 games thanks in no small part to Lidstrom's effort on the blue line.
OVERTIME:
1. San Jose has won both meetings between the clubs this season – including a 4-2 triumph in Detroit on Oct. 28, one of only two regulation losses the Wings have suffered at home.
2. The Sharks ousted the Red Wings from the Western Conference playoffs last season. Patrick Marleau, who scored the winner in Game 7, has a goal and an assist in two games against the Red Wings this season.