Game 6: Life on the Knife Edge

Pre-Game Skate:  Have you ever noticed that the only time the word "staved" ever get's used is when some team in some sports wins in a game which, had they lost, would have knocked them out of the race for a playoff spot or out of the playoffs themselves?  We gather tonight to see if the Detroit Red Wings can stave.  The Wings, down three games to none in this best-of-seven as of six days ago, now trail three games to two.

A few nights ago I discussed how much I dislike elimination games on account of nervousness.  This is that, 3x.  Tonight marks the third straight game in which Detroit has faced elimination.  The locals stayed alive in Game 4 here last Friday night on a goal by Darren Helm which broke a 3-3 tie with about a minute and half to go after San Jose had rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game.  Sunday, in Game 5, the Wings were done.  Dead.  (How dead?  Think Robert De Niro in "Casino" talking about his wife's boyfriend.  That dead.)  The Wings were smoked like a trout.  They trailed, on the road, 3-1 in the third period.  Thanks for playing and here are some lovely parting gifts, right?  Then, the Red Wings found a way to score 3 goals on Antti Niemi on 6 final period shots and now trail this Western Conference semi-final three games to two.  Johan Franzen will not dress tonight.  He didn't play at all in the final 37 minutes Sunday.  His spot in the lineup will be taken by...we don't know yet, for certain.  It will be either Mike Modano or Jiri Hudler.  Both are taking warm up.  My guess: Modano.  I think if there's a loose puck near the Sharks net you'd rather it be on his stick than Hudler's, but it's not my call.  Ryan Clowe is injured or has the flu or something and is out of the San Jose lineup.  He's been good for the Sharks in this series.  I think that's all we have for you right now.  Boy, am I nervous.  Did I mention that?
8:00pm:  It's Modano.  He's not only dressed for tonight's game, he's starting on a line with Pavel Datsyuk (I still can't get over the play he made on the game-winner Sunday in San Jose) and Tomas Holmstrom.  Kris Draper's a healthy scratch--if the Wings lose his career will end like that, as a healthy scratch--which means Drew Miller gets to play tonight.
8:15pm:  We are underway.  One shot on goal in the first minute, a long one by Logan Couture and an easy save for Detroit's Jimmy Howard.  You like the first one to be an easy one.
8:18pm:  Danny Cleary just got run from behind as San Jose takes the body in a big way to start the game.  Incredibly, no call even though Cledary went head-first into the boards.  But moments later they Sharks Dan Boyle goes off for holding at 3:59.  Detroit is 4-18 (22.2%) on the power play in the series.
8:22pm:  The Wings are crashing the net and have outshot the Sharks 7-1 in the first 7 minutes but there is no score.  Detroit came oh-so-close on that power play when Cleary failed to tuck the rebound of a Modano blast from the line.  Yes, Modano is on the Detroit power play tonight.  13:01 left, 1ST PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.
8:30pm:  We are halfway through the first and the Wings have an 11-2 edge in shots on goal.  Still even on the big board, though.  9:49 left, 1st PERIOD, DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.
8:34pm:  Sharks power play at 14:19.  This their first of the night, they are 4-21 (19%) in the series.  Jimmy Howard just made a great save with his left skate on a drive from the line with about seven minutes left in the period.  Phil Myre, the former goalie for the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers called it an old fashion kick save, the kind you don't see very often anymore.  "Kick save and a beauty," I said.  Old time hockey, eh?  Speaking of which, old-time hockey, that is, did I mention I saw Gordie Howe before the game tonight.  Because I did. Oh, and Devin Setoguchi just got called for hooking, negating the San Jose power play.  5:09 left, 1st PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.
8:49pm:  The period--dominated by Detroit as they outshot the San Jose 18-6, ends scoreless.  I'll tell you, if you play all night the way the Red Wings played in the first, you win.  Unless the Hockey Gods have it in for you, that is.  END OF THE FIRST PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.
9:06pm:  Second period underway.
9:10pm:  Drew Miller just missed the best scoring chance so far.  He had a rebound ten feet out in front with Niemi down and out and he slid it wide.  No second period shots for the Sharks yet: 21-6, Detroit at this point.  The Sharks are going on the power play as Datsyuk--a finalist for the Lady Bing which goes to "Most Gentlemanly Player" gets called for roughing.  Of all people.  Of all infractions.  15:50 left, 2nd PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.  
9:17pm:  I pride myself on not cheering in the pressbox but I just screamed, "Oh, oh, oh!" as Cleary who had been in the box serving the extra penalty given to Datsyuk in his exchange with Torrey Mitchell, took a pass, was in alone, pulled Niemi to create and open net and hit the post as dead-on as you can ever hit one.  You worry about the "not meant to be" factor at this point.  I mean, that was a certain goal for Cleary and he didn't score it... 11:35 left, 2nd PERIOD; DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.
9:25pm:  Detroit power play as Modano gets face-firsted into the boards in front of the Detroit bench by Patrick Marleau at 11:39. It's boarding for Marleau who is tonight the unwitting victim of controversy as being called "gutless" by Jeremy Roenick on the NHL Network.  And the Wings take a make-even call as Holmstrom is whistled for goalie interference at 11:32.  8:28 left, 2nd PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.
9:30pm:  Pavel Datsyuk just had a shot blocked.  Had it gotten through it would have been his first shot on goal in the game.  There is some suspicion that he's not shooting nor taking faceoffs because he's playing with a broken wrist.  That was the press room talk before the game at any rate.  6:27 left, 2nd PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.
9:38pm:  We've got just over a minute to go in the period and the Wings have held the Sharks to 7 shots in the period and 13 for the game.  And still, incredibly, the game remains scoreless.  1:15 left, 2nd PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.
9:40pm:  Todd Bertuzzi is tripped behind the Sharks net, fairly obvious call as the guy who did the tripping, San Jose's Douglas Murray, had his stick go flying high in the air on the play.  The call comes with only :20 left in the period.  But, the Wings will start the 3rd with a man advantage.  The Wings missed another golden one as Niemi robbed Holmstrom from the low rim of the left circle with a couple seconds left on the clock.  Detroit outshot the Sharks 14-7 in the period, have outshot them 32-13 in the game.  It's an amazing game.  Amazing that San Jose is still in this thing, I mean.  But, they are and I've seen that turn out to be not such a good thing.  SECOND INTERMISSION: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 0.  
9:59pm:  The 3rd period begins...
10:05pm:  The puck slides between Howards knee and barely, just barely, crosses the goal line before the Detroit netminder can cover.  It was a goal close enough to review.  The whole puck has to cross the whole line and this one did by about a 16th of an inch.  The goal comes on the Sharks 16th shot of the night (Detroit has 34), at 3:54 of the third period.  I think Logan Couture scored it.  He's the guy who scored that huge goal for San Jose in Game 3 here in Detroit last year when Detroit coughed up a 3-1 lead in the third period and with it, their chance to beat the Sharks in the series.  Assist to Dany Heatley.  15:57 left, 3rd PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 1.
10:10pm:  Still a lot of time left but I don't have a good feeling about this.  Maybe it's just the fan in me being pessimistic like a fan would be (you can supress being a fan but you can't eliminate it) but this one feels like it's    going to be the ultimate hard-luck loss.  13:53 left, 3rd PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 1.
10:16pm:  Niemi just made the save of the century.  He was down and out,4 reduced to making snow angels--helpless in a word--and he lifted his left leg straight up in the air to deny Henrik Zetterberg who looked to have the entire upper half of the net there for the taking from 15 feet away.  As good a save as I have ever seen.  Except Phil Myre says he didn't make it, that the shot went high.  And Phil Myre is usally right.  9:45 left, 3rd PERIOD: DETROIT 0, SAN JOSE 1.
10:19pm:  And we are--just like that--tied.  Zetterberg tips a right-circle wrist shot fired by Kronwall and something FINALLY got by Niemi.  The goal at 10:38.  Filppula also assists.  The building is alive again.  The Red Wings are alive again.  9:12 left, 3rd PERIOD: DETROIT 1, SAN JOSE 1.
10:25pm:  THE RED WINGS LEAD.  DATSYUK (WHO ELSE?) MADE THE PLAY ACROSS TO FILPPULA AND HE BURIED IT INTO AN EMPTY NET.  SAN JOSE D-MAN JASON DEMERS TRIED TO BLOCK IT IN THE CREASE BUT HE HAD HIS BACK TURNED AND HAD NO CHANCE.  I DIDN'T GET THE TIME (12:32 AS IT TURNS OUT) BUT WE'VE GOT A LITTLE UNDER 7 TO GO NOW.  Penalty to Abdelkader at 13:14.  WHAT A GAME.  3RD PERIOD: DETROIT 2, SAN JOSE 1.
10:34pm:  We are standing on the bench again, in order to see.  The Wings killed the penalty.  They still lead by a goal.  This is one of the greatest games I have ever seen.  2:30 left, 3rd PERIOD: DETROIT 3, SAN JOSE 1.
10:33pm:  EMPTY NET GOAL! EMPTY GOAL BY HELM!  THE WINGS WILL WIN.  THEY LEAD 3-1 WITH 1:05 TO GO.  I HAVE TO TO THE DRESSING ROOM NOW.  BEEN GREAT SHARING THIS ONE WITH YOU.  :40 LEFT, 3RD PERIOD: DETROIT 3, SAN JOSE 1.