By AJ Petronzi
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Despite scoring the opening goal, the Detroit Red Wings were dropped 2-1 by the San Jose Sharks to be eliminated 4-1 in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
Brian Rafalski broke open the score sheet tonight before Joe Thornton tied the game up a couple minutes later. Jimmy Howard stopped Joe Pavelski on a penalty shot but after a no-call on a high hit on Franzen, Patrick Marleau scored the season ender for the Red Wings.
This game featured the same questionable calls, going both ways, as every other game this series, but there is no way to look past San Jose’s domination of the first and third period. Detroit couldn’t get any meaningful pressure in those two periods, but Evgeni Nabokov kept the game tied when Detroit had all the control in the second. San Jose should put to rest what everyone has said about them choking in the playoffs with their domination of this series. Going forward for San Jose is the fact that the last team to eliminate Detroit from the playoffs, but not make the Stanley Cup Finals, was the Las Angeles Kings in 2001.
In Play! Man of the Game: Joe Thornton. Thornton had a slow start to the series, but after Pavelski was shut down, Thornton stepped up and got the job done. He finished tonight with the tying goal and the only assist on the game winner.
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