Red Wings bite back to stay alive

Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif.

Tomas Holmstrom broke a tie with 6:08 remaining, and the Detroit Red Wings scored three third-period goals to avoid elimination with a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night.

Danny Cleary and Jonathan Ericsson also scored in the final period to send the series back to Detroit for Game 6 on Tuesday night.

After winning the first three games, San Jose is clinging to a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi scored to help the Sharks take a 3-1 lead early in the third period. Then the Red Wings scored two quick goals before Holmstrom redirected the winner past Antti Niemi.

Niklas Kronwell also scored, and Jimmy Howard made 39 saves for Detroit.

The Red Wings took a huge step toward adding to their already storied history.

Only three NHL teams have overcome 3-0 deficits to win a best-of-seven series.

With Chicago winning three straight to force a Game 7 against Vancouver in the opening round, there’s plenty of recent precedent that Detroit can push San Jose to the brink.

The Red Wings already have overcome a repeat of last season, when they went down 3-0 to the Sharks — just like this year — before being eliminated in Game 5 at San Jose.

No encore this time.

Detroit came back again with a strong push up ice and sent several shots at Niemi after going down two goals. In a span of 1:46, the Red Wings got a goal from Ericsson and another from Cleary on a wraparound shot for the equalizer.

Then Nicklas Lidstrom’s sent a slap shot from the center that was deflected on net by Holmstrom, redirected top shelf to beat Niemi and stun a towel-waving crowd that was ready to toast a berth in the Western Conference for the second straight season.