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Sharks host Red Wings in key Game 4 matchup

Wed 2nd, May 2007

(Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks will try to open a two-game lead in the Western Conference semifinals tonight, when they welcome the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings for Game 4 at HP Pavilion.

The Sharks earned a split in the first two games of this best-of-seven series in Detroit and grabbed a two games to one lead with Monday's triumph on home ice. Jonathan Cheechoo's power-play goal with 6:41 left in the third period carried San Jose to a 2-1 victory over Detroit in Game 3 at the Shark Tank. Ryane Clowe also scored and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 29 shots for the fifth- seeded Sharks. Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who was named as a finalist for the Norris Trophy on Tuesday, netted Detroit's goal on the power play in the opening period, and Dominik Hasek made 25 saves in a losing cause. Cheechoo, who won the "Rocket" Richard Trophy with 56 goals in the 2005-06 campaign, displayed a tremendous amount of individual skill on the game- winning tally. Kyle McLaren shot the puck from the high slot. Hasek made the save, but sprawled out and failed to get hold of a loose puck in front. Cheechoo collected the rebound and with three Detroit players on his back was still able to stickhandle the puck around the netminder and use a backhand to poke it just inside the right post. It was the second goal of this postseason for Cheechoo, who notched 37 markers during the regular season. While Cheechoo came through with the game-winning goal, Joe Thornton still led the way for the Sharks and was named the contest's first star. Thornton posted just one assist in Game 3, but put his stamp on the affair with his playmaking abilities and physical play. Last year's winner of the Art Ross and Hart Trophies is leading San Jose with 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists) in this postseason and has notched a point in six straight games. On the milestone front, Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios played in his 237th career playoff game on Monday to move him past Mark Messier for second place on the NHL's all-time list. Legendary goaltender Patrick Roy holds the top spot with 247 career postseason contests. The Sharks won three of the four encounters with Detroit during the regular season and outscored the Red Wings, 18-9, in those meetings. This is the first playoff series between these clubs since 1995, when the Red Wings swept San Jose in the conference semifinals. The year before, the Sharks ousted Detroit from the opening round in seven games. This series will head back to Detroit for Game 5, which is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena.

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