Red Wings 2, Sharks 1 (SO)
SAN JOSE -- Detroit Red Wings center Damien Brunner scored the only goal in the shootout as the San Jose Sharks were glad to see February turn to March after a 2-1 loss on Thursday night.
Michal Handzus, Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe all failed in the shootout as San Jose finished the month with a 2-6-4 record.
Detroit, playing for the second time in as many nights, snapped a three-game losing streak on foreign ice and beat the Sharks as hosts for only the third time in their last 12 tries.
The Red Wings outshot the Sharks 3-1 in sudden death as a shootout was required to decide it for the sixth time in San Jose's last seven games at home.
Detroit's tying goal was credited to Patrick Eaves, his first of the season, on a deflection in front on a sequence that started with Niklas Kronwall's blast from the middle of the blue line less than two minutes after San Jose broke a scoreless tie.
The Sharks finally broke through when Logan Couture scored his eighth goal of the season at 4:49. Joe Thornton forced Detroit's Justin Abdelkader into a turnover, then fed Couture for a one-timer from the right circle.
The two teams combined for only 13 shots in the middle period with the Sharks getting the better of the prime scoring chances.
Martin Havlat fanned on Patrick Marleau's cross-ice feed during an opening-minute 2-on-1. Michal Handzus chipped a shot alone in front at 8:49 into the gut of Detroit backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who was making his first start of the season.
Gustavsson lost his mask diving across the crease to deny Tim Kennedy's wrap-around attempt with 10:48 remaining. And Detroit defenseman Brian Lashoff denied a Thornton pass during a late-period 2-on-1.
The Wings' best chance came when Eaves bulleted a one-timer from the right circle that San Jose goalie Antti Niemi deflected.
Defenseman Dan Boyle nearly scored on San Jose's first and only power play of the first 40 minutes. His blast from the blue line caromed off the boards and slipped behind Gustavsson, who managed to not knock it back in. The power play was cut short at 42 seconds when Marleau ran over Gustavsson for goaltender interference.
Clowe had the best chance for either team during a scoreless first period. Fresh off a two-game suspension, Clowe was stopped on a breakaway with just more than five minutes left in the opening session after Lashoff turned the puck over at center.
Clowe lined up on left wing alongside Handzus and Kennedy on a checking line after spending the first 16 games of the season in a top-six role. Clowe was still looking for his first goal of the season.
Detroit, which outshot San Jose 11-9 in the period, failed on the game's only power play in the opening 20 minutes.
