Game Preview: Sharks At Red Wings

(AP) -- While the Detroit Red Wings appear set to extend the NHL's longest active playoff appearance streak, the owners of the next-longest run might not be as fortunate.

In danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons, the visiting Sharks look to avoid a third straight defeat Thursday night against a Red Wings team that hasn't resembled a playoff squad of late.

San Jose (35-30-8) erased an early one-goal deficit with two second-period scores Monday, but allowed four in the final 20 minutes of a 5-2 loss at Ottawa. Losers in four of five and 1-3-0 on their seven-game trip, the Sharks are 10 points behind Winnipeg for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with nine games remaining.

"We're not dealing in the fantasy world yet," coach Todd McLellan said. "We're dealing in a world where we look at numbers and we still have an opportunity."

San Jose's string of 10 straight postseason appearances is second to Detroit's franchise-record 23 in a row. Though McLellan is publicly holding out hope, his players don't seem so optimistic.

"We're not good enough right now to compete against good teams in the NHL," center Logan Couture told the NHL's official website.

"(Monday felt) like another wasted night. We don't get the job done. There's been way too many of those this year."

After yielding one goal in each of the last two games, Antti Niemi was peppered while making 32 saves at Ottawa. He has a 3.39 goals-against average while losing four of five.

Niemi posted an 0.95 GAA during a 5-0-1 stretch against the Red Wings (39-21-12) that ended when he also made 32 saves in a 3-2 loss Feb. 26.

Though Detroit is third in the Atlantic Division, it's allowed an average of 3.5 goals while losing seven of 10.

With Pavel Datsyuk out a fourth straight game because of a lower-body injury and defenseman Niklas Kronwall scratched for the same reason, the Red Wings overcame four one-goal deficits to force overtime before falling 5-4 to lowly Arizona at home Tuesday. They also lost winger Erik Cole to injury in the first period

"Every point you can get down the stretch is important," forward Henrik Zetterberg told the Red Wings' official website after recording two assists.

While it's uncertain if any of those injured Red Wings will be available for this contest, coach Mike Babcock was pleased with the perseverance his team showed Tuesday.

"We got a huge point," he said. "The other side of it is you lost a huge point, but we got a huge point, so that's a positive thing and let's build on it."

With Gustav Nyquist's game-tying goal with the man-advantage in the third, Detroit has scored on the power play in 14 of its last 16 games. The Red Wings' 24.9 percent conversion rate is tied with Washington for the best in the league.

They went 1 for 5 versus the Sharks last month.

Detroit's Justin Abdelkader has seven goals with two assists during a six-game home point streak but only three points in 28 overall regular-season and playoff contests against the Sharks.

San Jose's Joe Pavelski, who has at least 30 goals in three straight non-lockout-shortened seasons, has totaled five with four assists in his last 10 games versus Detroit.

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