Red Wings 2, Sharks 1

[January 08, 2016]  SAN JOSE -- Justin Abdelkader scored a tie-breaking goal at 13:08 of the third period, just after San Jose narrowly missed on two glorious chances, as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Sharks 2-1 at SAP Center on Thursday.

Abdelkader's 13th goal of the season came from the mid-slot following a blocked shot by Sharks defenseman Justin Braun. Abdelkader's shot went over the right blocker of San Jose goalie Martin Jones.

The Sharks, who lost for the third time during the first four of a five-game homestand, fell to a league-worst 5-12 at home. It continued the season-long trend at home in which the visitors have won all 12 games in which they scored first.

San Jose outshot Detroit 36-25, but went 0-for-3 on the power play.

San Jose peppered the Detroit net with 16 shots in the first period, but had to settle for a 1-1 tie at the intermission.

The Red Wings jumped in front at 9:16 with a goal off the rush after the Sharks lost a faceoff in the Detroit end. Defenseman Danny DeKeyser joined the rush and got a step on San Jose's backchecking forward Joel Ward to snap a shot from the left circle past Jones.

DeKeyser's third goal of the season, a rocket to the top opposite corner of the net, capped a Red Wings' breakout led by center Henrik Zetterberg. Jones came up with a close-in stop on center Riley Sheahan within a minute later.

The Sharks struck at 10:57 when center Logan Couture won an offensive-zone draw. Eventually defenseman Brent Burns took a flat-footed slap shot from the right point that hit Ward on the way past Mrazek. It was Ward's 11th goal of the season and first since Dec. 5.

The two teams tightened up the neutral zone in the second period, and shot attempts dropped almost in half. San Jose had the better of the shock clock, 10-6, but Detroit had the better chances.

Burns got screened by an official behind the net, which allowed the Red Wings to cash in on a turnover. But Jones used his right pad to deny a shot from Detroit center Tomas Tatar at mid-period.

Jones came up big again at 18:06 when Detroit center Pavel Datsyuk one-timed a drive from the mid-slot following a turnover by Sharks' defenseman Brenden Dillon, who missed a portion of the opening period after blocking a shot by Datsyuk.

NOTES: Halfway through a six-game trip after its stop in San Jose, Detroit next travels to Anaheim for a game on Sunday versus the Ducks before closing out the trek in Los Angeles and Arizona. ... San Jose caps a five-game homestand on Saturday against Toronto. ... D Brent Burns and RW Joe Pavelski were selected to represent the Sharks at the upcoming NHL All-Star Game. Rookie C Dylan Larkin will be the Red Wings' sole representative at the game. ... While San Jose was healthy, Detroit was without RW Johan Franzen (concussion), D Kyle Quincey (ankle), LW Teemu Pulkkinen (shoulder). ... The Sharks recalled back-up G Alex Stalock from the American Hockey League following a two-game conditioning stint while G Troy Grosenick was returned to the Barracuda. ... RW Mike Brown rejoined the lineup to play on San Jose's fourth line after being a healthy scratch for consecutive contests. ... D Matt Tennyson and C Ben Smith were San Jose's healthy scratches while D Jakub Kindl and C Joakim Andersson did not dress for Detroit.

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