Sharks Score 3 Times In 2nd To Defeat Red Wings
DETROIT (AP) -- Logan Couture scored twice, including the go-ahead goal 8 seconds after Niclas Wallin's goal, to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.
Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen each had go-ahead goals in the first period, but the Western Conference-leading Red Wings couldn't hold either lead. Joe Thornton made it 1-all late in the frame and Dany Heatley gave San Jose a two-goal lead late in the second.
Couture sealed the victory in the third with his second goal.
San Jose's Antti Niemi made 25 saves. Jimmy Howard had 30 for Detroit, which fell to 10-2-2 at home.
San Jose improved to 6-5-2 on the road and moved out of last place in Pacific Division.
The Sharks, who jumped over Anaheim, have alternated winning and losing for eight games.
Detroit lost its previous game in overtime after winning four straight and nine of 11.
The Red Wings' only other loss in regulation at home was Oct. 28 against the Phoenix Coyotes.
It looked as though they might roll to another win when Holmstrom was perched in front of the net and redirected Nicklas Lidstrom's shot into the net during a power play 7:48 into the game.
Thornton had scored only once in 15 games and had been held to one shot in three of four games before he put in a short-handed goal during on an odd-man rush with 4:01 left in the first. He was set up by a cross-ice pass from Heatley.
Franzen finished a play in which each of Detroit's five skaters touched the puck. The power-play goal put Detroit ahead 2-1 with 85 seconds remaining in the second.
San Jose snatched the momentum when Wallin and Couture scored 8 seconds apart about 5 minutes into the second period. Heatley made it 4-2 with 1:03 remaining in the second, and Couture ended any comeback hopes for Detroit when his 12th goal gave the Sharks a 5-2 edge with 8:43 left in the game.
NOTES: San Jose improved to 11-0-1 when leading after two periods. Detroit fell to 0-9-1 when trailing entering the third. ... Detroit F Kris Draper, who has played only once this season, was a healthy scratch. ... Detroit won 5-3 on Nov. 30 at San Jose in the teams' first meeting since the Sharks eliminated the Red Wings in Game 5 of the second round of the playoffs.
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