The Detroit Red Wings are 2-0 in Game 4's against the San Jose Sharks in the last two Stanley Cup Playoffs. The bad news is that they're 0-7 in the other postseason games vs. the Sharks, and were eliminated in a tough Game 5 battle last year.
The Red Wings are in San Jose on Sunday night, facing elimination while trying to become the fourth team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit to advance. Not helping their chances: That stars Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen were deemed questionable for Game 5, and will be less than 100-percent should they play.
From Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press:
The Red Wings may be without forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen as they try to avoid being eliminated by the Sharks in Game 5 tonight. Both will be game-time decisions following warm-ups.
Franzen has struggled all series, nearly immobilized by a sprained ankle suffered in Game 2 of the first round. Datsyuk is dealing with a sore wrist, which forced him to miss Saturday's practice, the Free Press has learned.
Coach Mike Babcock said he's told both Mike Modano and Drew Miller to be on stand-by in case either or both are needed.
So maybe Modano won't see his legendary career end as a healthy scratch after all.
Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News writes that "Red Wings coach Mike Babcock expects" Datsyuk and Franzen to play in Game 5. Datsyuk has four points in the series and a 5-game point streak in the playoffs. Franzen has yet to tally a point against the Sharks, skating to a minus-2.
Babcock's move of Datsyuk off a line with Henrik Zetterberg in Game 3 kick-started the Detroit offense a bit, and Sharks Coach Todd McLellan was asked if he'd react to that in Game 5 should Datsyuk play. From Working the Corners:
"There are some potential adjustments, but I'm not sure that it goes as deep as tinkering with lines and moving people on and off," McLellan said. "It's more about our play and our battle commitment. Our play around the blue paint in both ends can certainly get better. If need be we always have a plan for some juggling, but we'll likely start the same way we ended."
And who doesn't like juggling, really?