NHL: Sharks and Red Wings Ready for Final Showdown

Having fallen 3-0 behind in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, the Detroit Red Wings are now just one win away from an historical turnaround. Al Dannity says get ready for an epic battle in the HP Pavilion tonight.

This is going to be tense
Things got heated on more than one occasion during an emotional Game 6 in the Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday night. The Red Wings eventually emerged 3-1 winners, tying the series but catching an opponent is quite a different task to beating them. Just ask the Blackhawks about that. The Red Wings and Sharks enter tonight’s game in San Jose in a one-game shootout for a shot at the Canucks. Despite losing three in a row, the Sharks will have a big advantage playing on home ice and you can expect the crowd to play a factor. The Red Wings for their part have stared into the abyss on three occasions now and haven’t flinched once. Sparks are set to fly tonight.

All eyes on Niemi
The goals eventually came pouring in during the third period but Game 6 was deadlocked for almost 44 minutes before the first red light flashed. This was down in large part to the solid efforts put in by Jimmy Howard and Antti Niemi. Howard had 24 saves on Tuesday, including a vital stop of Devin Setoguchi’s effort with the Red Wings up 2-1. Despite coming out on the losing end, Niemi looked in much better shape compared to his showings in Game 5. With 42 saves on 44 shots, the Finn showed he is back on track ahead of a crucial Game 7 tonight. The goaltender duel could prove decisive tonight, with both men having shown they can step up when called upon.

Don’t forget about us
The longer than expected pair of series in the Western Conference has left the Bruins and Lightning in an odd spot. NBC and Versus are keen to have the two sets of Conference Finals start in tandem, so they would be best suited to TV schedules, but this has resulted in a particularly long break for both Boston and Tampa Bay. The Bruins have been inactive since Friday while the Lightning haven’t taken to the ice in over a week. This unexpected pairing will finally meet on Saturday in Boston. NHL betting fans can enjoy our full breakdown of that series tomorrow.