Sharks at Red Wings
Pavel Datsyuk will make his much-anticipated season debut when the Detroit Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks on Friday night. The 37-year-old Datsyuk, who has been sidelined while recovering from surgery to repair ruptured tendons in his right ankle, returns to the Red Wings' lineup two goals shy of 300 for his career and 39 points short of 900.
"The biggest thing is it's obviously a lift," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. "He's for a long time been one of the best players in the world, but I also think it's important as a team to understand ... We can't get caught with 'We're waiting for him to be a savior.' " Datsyuk scored 26 goals and had 65 points in 63 games last season. His arrival comes at a perfect time for the Red Wings, who have won four of five despite scoring six goals in the past four games. The Sharks have dropped two in a row and have lost eight of 11 entering the opener of a six-game road trip.
TV: 7:30 p.m., CSN California (San Jose), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE SHARKS (7-8-0): San Jose fell into a 2-0 first-period deficit in Tuesday's loss to the New York Islanders, continuing a disturbing trend that has seen its opponent score first in eight of the past 10 games. "Obviously we're talking about starts," Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said. "We want to get a better start and it just doesn't happen. A bad bounce, a change or however it happens, we've got to fight through it. ... We want to play with the lead." The power play has been a disaster for San Jose, which is 0-for-13 this month and 2-for-30 with the man advantage over the past 12 games.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (8-6-1): Blashill will put Datsyuk on the top line alongside captain Henrik Zetterberg - "two of the smartest players in the National Hockey League - and Justin Abdelkader, who signed a seven-year, $29.75 million extension on Thursday. Abdelkader, who posted career-best totals of 23 goals and 44 points last season, grew up in Muskegeon and attended Michigan State. "The organization has been great to me since I walked in the door, helped me develop into the player and the person I am today, and I'm very thankful for that," Abdelkader said. "It should be a bright future for us."
OVERTIME
1. Zetterberg has 17 goals and 36 assists in 40 games versus San Jose.
2. Sharks G Martin Jones, who was chased after giving up two goals in 3 1/2 minutes Tuesday, is 4-1-0 with a 1.77 goals-against average away from home.
3. Red Wings D Kyle Quincey will undergo ankle surgery Saturday and be sidelined nine to 12 weeks.