Tomas Holmstrom gave Detroit its first and only lead midway through the third period, lifting the Red Wings to a 4-3 victory and keeping them alive in their series against the Sharks during Game 5 in San Jose.
After two periods, the Sharks outshot the Wings 30-16 and by the end of the game, San Jose was still the primary shooter with 41-22.
But Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard was ready for a fight and Detroit played the patient game, doing exactly what they needed to do only when it was time.
Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson and Danny Cleary also scored for the Red Wings, with Ericsson and Cleary both scoring in the third as the team rebounded from a two-goal deficit that could have ended the series.
Devin Setoguchi, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture scored for the Sharks and put their team up 3-1 before the Wings battled back. Antti Niemi stopped 18 shots.
Detroit has won 58 consecutive games in the post-season when scoring four goals or more and that trend continued Sunday night.
The Red Wings squandered a three-goal lead in Game 4 but still managed to take the win and forced Game 5.
San Jose has also never lost a series when leading 3-0 or 3-1 and won the first three games in this series.
Niemi showed his athleticism in the first period, making several impressive, diving saves. His strength is his lateral movement and he showed it tonight.
Setoguchi gave San Jose the 1-0 lead with two minutes remaining in the first after deflecting a shot between the legs of Howard.
Pavelski made it 2-0 after slotting home a shot when he was wide open in front of the net.
Kronwall pulled Detroit within one less than a minute later to put the Wings back in the game.
Couture made it 3-1 at the start of the third but just when San Jose fans thought it was over, Ericsson brought Detroit within one again.
That goal came just after the Wings’ second power play of the game, and the second without a shot on net, however the goal gave Detroit the momentum they needed to put the game away for good.
Two minutes later, Detroit shocked the HP Pavilion crowd by tying the game 3-3 with Cleary scoring a scrappy goal that slipped between Niemi’s legs.
Holmstrom’s goal brings the series back to Detroit for Game 6 and an attempt to buck history and beat San Jose.
