Patrick Marleau scored seven minutes into overtime to complete a stirring 4-3 comeback victory for the San Jose Sharks over Detroit on Tuesday, pushing the Red Wings to the brink of Stanley Cup elimination.
The victory gives the Sharks a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western conference semi-final and a chance to sweep the series with a Game 4 win tonight.
The aging Joe Louis Arena had been a house of horrors for the Sharks, who had won just five times in 35 regular-season visits to “the Joe” and were just 3-6 in playoff trips to the Motor City.
Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, a former Red Wings assistant, will not have to be reminded how tough it is to win at the Joe.
“Tomorrow will be the day when we remind them how difficult that last game is,” McLellan said. “I’ve been in the other locker room and I know how much fight is in that team. Our task is going to be tougher for that fourth win than it has been for the first three. We know that.”
The good vibes at the Joe had looked ready to continue as the Red Wings took a 3-1 lead into the final period.
But the win suddenly disappeared when Joe Thornton and Logan Couture scored to force overtime and Marleau capped the comeback redirecting a laser feed from Thornton past a diving Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard.
A capacity crowd was left on the edge of their seats through a wild opening period that featured two disputed goals, a penalty shot and Detroit taking a 2-1 lead.
Henrik Zetterberg appeared to give Detroit the early advantage when the puck ricocheted off his skate past Evgeni Nabokov as he charged towards the Sharks net but after a lengthy video review, officials waved off the goal, ruling Zetterberg had kicked the puck into the net.
Three minutes later video judges were again pressed into action when Red Wings Tomas Holmstrom scored another disputed goal that went in off his skate.
This time judges ruled the goal good but controversy continued when Detroit was awarded a penalty shot.
Nabokov denied Zetterberg but there was no disputing Detroit’s second goal, Dan Cleary beating Nabokov.
The Sharks pulled one back with four seconds remaining in the frame on a goal from Devin Setoguchi, but the Red Wings restored their two-goal cushion early in the second through Zetterberg.
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