Sharks 3, Red Wings 2 (SO)
DETROIT -- Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau scored in the shootout to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
Each team is battling to hold on to Western Conference playoff spots.
Marleau and Couture also got the goals in regulation for San Jose (21-12-7), which is fifth in the Western Conference. Antti Niemi made 27 saves.
Justin Abdelkader and Jakub Kindl scored for Detroit (19-15-6) in the first three periods. Pavel Datsyuk scored in the shootout. The Red Wings are in the eighth and final playoff position. Jimmy Howard stopped 28 shots.
Kindl's power-play goal 2:29 into the third period gave Detroit a 2-1 lead. He converted Henrik Zetterberg's pass on a one-timer from the slot for Kindl's fourth goal. It was Zetterberg's 400th career assist.
But Couture's power-play goal just 1:31 later tied the game at 2. He put in a rebound with a backhand shot under the crossbar for his 16th goal.
After being soundly outplayed in the first period, the Red Wings began picking up momentum about five minutes into the second and were rewarded when Abdelkader tied it at 1, 9:51 into the middle period, with his eighth goal. Abdelkader put in a one-time shot from just off the crease to Niemi's left. Abdelkader converted a pass from Johan Franzen to break Detroit's scoring drought of 89:51.
Marleau opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal just 2:35 into the game. He completed a 2-on-1 rush by taking a pass from Joe Pavelski and beating Howard from the bottom of the left circle. It was Marleau's 17th goal.
San Jose defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic hit the goal post with 8:45 left in the opening period.
The Sharks dominated the first period, outshooting the Red Wings 11-5.
NOTES: Howard says he is close to signing a six-year contract extension with Detroit. He is in the final year of a deal that pays him $2.25 million annually. ... Red Wings right wing Damien Brunner returned after missing three games with a sore hip flexor. ... San Jose defenseman Brad Stuart played with Detroit from 2007-08 until last season and Sharks coach Todd McLellan was formerly a Red Wings assistant coach. ... Detroit doesn't expect center Darren Helm, who has been limited to one game because of back woes, to return this season. ... Defenseman Ian White was a healthy scratch for the Red Wings.
