The Mule Kicks Sharks in Record Setting Affair

The fans at the Joe got quite a show in what might have been the Red Wings last home game of the season. Facing an undeserved and embarrassing sweep, the Mule lead Detroit past the hapless Sharks in a memorable night.

It wasn't the most auspicious start for Detroit when a mix-up with Franzen on the bench lead to a Too Many Men penalty, giving the Sharks an early powerplay. It turned out to be a blessing however, as Detroit was solid on the PK and picked up some momentum leading to a powerplay of their own.

Then, Detroit exploded onto the scoreboard.

With only 3 seconds remaining in Helminen's tripping penalty, Johan Franzen put the puck past Nabokov by way of Todd Bertuzzi's calf. The Mule refused to be kept off the scoreboard though, netting the next three goals of the game in a span of 3:26, the second fastest in NHL playoff history.

After 1 period, the Sharks found themselves in an insurmountable 5-0 hole.

The onslaught slowed down after that. With Sharks' goalie Nabokov looking on from the bench, the Wings fired a few more by Thomas Greiss whilst San Jose netted their only goal of the night while on one of their mandatory 5-on-3 powerplays.

After all was said and done, Johan Franzen finished with 4 goals and 6 points, tying franchise records. The Mule's supporting role was played by Todd Bertuzzi with 1 goal and 4 assists, while Lidstrom and Zetterberg got 2 assists each to be the Wings' other multi-point players. Jimmy Howard stopped 28 of 29 for the win.

Franzen is now tied with Sidney Crosby for the league lead in points with 17 in 11 games. He has a point in each Red Wings game this playoff year.

For me, it was a reminder of what the Red Wings and Johan Franzen can do to a good team like the Sharks. The sad part is, Detroit is still in a very big 3-1 hole. I'm unconvinced the Sharks will be doubting their ability on Saturday. It's an embarrassing 7-1 setback, but it ends a 6-game win-streak for San Jose, 3 of them against Detroit. If anything, it will help the Wings believe they can overcome this huge hurdle they face, but they need to replicate the intensity shown in Game 4 another three times. Anything less will probably mean curtains for the 2010 season.