Game 1 of the Red Wings' second-round series against the Sharks went well for about half a period. The Red Wings were on top thanks to a goal by Nicklas Lidstrom, and any worries about rust from having more than a week off seemed off base. The Sharks then proceeded to skate circles around the Wings for the final 50 minutes of the game. Jimmy Howard played extremely well and kept Detroit in it, but a goal scored from a mid-air deflection in the third period and then a redirected goal in overtime gave San Jose a 2-1 win.
Not wanting to dig themselves a big hole in the series before even playing a game in Detroit like last year, the Red Wings need to come out Sunday afternoon and pick up a win. Going down 2-0 wouldn't be the end of the world by any means, but Detroit needs to prove to itself that it can win at San Jose. Last year, the Red Wings lost all three games in the series played at the Sharks, and they can't let that trend continue in the 2011 NHL playoffs.
For Game 2 of the series, which will start at 3 p.m., it's not clear if there will be any lineup changes compared to the first game. Both Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen are expected to play again, but it's not 100 percent clear if Kris Draper and Mike Modano will once again be healthy scratches. Chances are they will not play, but as of this morning no decisions had been made.
NBC will have the broadcast for Game 2 of the series. If the Red Wings win, they will get to head back Detroit for Game 3 on Wednesday with the series all evened up. If they lose, Game 3 could become a must win for the Wings.