Before the puck hit the ice for the opening faceoff a boisterous “Let’s go Redwings” chant had already broke out inside Joe Louis Arena. In Hockeytown they live for big games and Thursday night’s Western Conference showdown was as big as it gets at this early junction of the NHL season.
Unlike earlier this year, when Detroit was playing on the second end of back-to-back games, losing a 4-2 decision in San Jose, this time the Sharks came in after a 2-1 loss to Columbus the previous evening.
In the first period the quick turnaround seemed to affect the normally fast-starting Sharks.
Detroit struck first after Doug Lebda shuffled a pass to Johan Franzen as the pair entered the San Jose zone. Franzen quickly uncorked a snap shot from the high slot beating a surprised Evgeni Nabakov.
It only took one minute and twenty-seven seconds before the Red Wings would strike again. Using only their forth shot of the period, Pavel Datsyuk beat Nabokov five-hole, again from the high slot. It was a two-minute stretch that the Sharks goalie wished he could have back.
As the league approaches the mid-way point of the season, it’s been San Jose garnering all of the early season accolades. The Sharks entered the night with a 25-3-3 record; winners of 25 of the last 31 games, while accruing the most points in league history through 30 games.
Despite showering the Sharks with respect in seemingly every pre-game interview, it didn’t take long to realize that, on this night, Detroit was intent on matching the intensity created in the building by the fans, with their play on the ice.
Midway through the second period, Pavel Datsyuk floated into the San Jose zone as both teams were in the middle of a change. In classic Datsyuk fashion he flung a behind-the-back-pass to Marion Hossa, who was fresh off the bench to quickly one-time a laser top shelf behind Nabokov to give Detroit a 3-0 lead.
It was Hossa’s team-leading 17th goal of the year.
Detroit goalie Ty Conklin was solid in net stopping all 24 shots and improving to 9-4 on the year. Conklin was called on due to a lingering groin strain which relegated usual starter Chris Osgood to backup duty.
A solid Detroit effort morphed into a completely dominating affair in the third period.
Pavel Datsyuk, who was unstoppable all night, added a goal and an assist in the final period. It was the ninth time in the Russian’s career that he tallied four or more points in a game.
Valtteri Filppula made the game 4-0, scoring his 10th goal of the season, while Brad Stuart buried his first goal of the year to close the scoring late in the third.
The Red Wings outshot San Jose 28-24.
San Jose Head Coach Todd McLennan, who was a Redwing assistant coach during last season’s Cup run, probably envisioned a different outcome in his return to Detroit. But he knows that when the Detroit freight train gets moving, very few things can bring it to a halt.
Thursday night the Hockeytown Express was barreling down the tracks, sending a wakeup call to the Sharks and the rest of the hockey world.
Their message was simple: We are still the defending Stanley Cup champions, and despite what the records might indicate, still the team to beat in the NHL.
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