Helm scores with 1:27 left, Red Wings stay alive with 4-3 win in Game 4 over Sharks

<p>DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings figured out a way to be on the winning side of a one-goal game against the San Jose Sharks.</p> <p>For Detroit, it was about time.</p> <p>Darren Helm scored with 1:27 left, lifting the Red Wings to an elimination-avoiding 4-3 win over San Jose in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series on Friday night.</p> <p>”For us it was an overtime game, a game we obviously had to win,” Helm said.</p> <p>The Sharks won the first three games of the second-round rematch by a goal after beating the Red Wings by one goal for a fourth time in Game 5 last year.</p> <p>”It’s a great feeling just finishing on top and finally getting a win,” said captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who scored twice in the first period to give Detroit a three-goal lead that slipped away.</p> <p>The Sharks will take their 3-1 series lead back to San Jose with a chance to advance on Sunday night to the NHL’s final four.</p> <p>”We have an opportunity to win at home,” coach Todd McLellan said. “We’re going to learn from this one and we’re going to be better.”</p> <p>Detroit is trying to become the fourth NHL team to win a series after trailing 3-0.</p> <p>”We think we have an opportunity,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.</p> <p>The Red Wings had a chance to win Game 4 big as they did last year, but couldn’t put away San Jose.</p> <p>Logan Couture had a goal 15 seconds after Lidstrom’s second, Dan Boyle scored midway through the middle period to pull San Jose within 3-2, and Dany Heatley tied it early in the third.</p> <p>”I like the fact that we were resilient when we weren’t playing real well,” McLellan said. “We found a way to claw our way back into it.”</p> <p>Helm put Detroit back ahead for good, scoring from the left circle off a cross-ice pass from Patrick Eaves, who got the puck off a long rebound following Brian Rafalski’s shot.</p> <p>”When I saw the puck, it was on the other side,” said San Jose’s Antti Niemi, who stopped 26 shots.</p> <p>Jimmy Howard made 25 saves for the win.</p> <p>The tightly contested series has mirrored last year’s matchup between the highly talented, puck-possession teams. San Jose won the first three games by a goal each time, but again failed to complete the sweep.</p> <p>Todd Bertuzzi scored first this time 6:22 in, just as he did last year in Game 4, when he gave Detroit a 1-0 lead at 5:40.</p> <p>The Red Wings went on to win that game 7-1 before getting eliminated in Game 5.</p> <p>Detroit appeared to be on the way to another blowout win after Lidstrom scored twice in the first period to make it 3-0.</p> <p>”We didn’t answer the bell as well as we could’ve,” San Jose forward Joe Pavelski said.</p> <p>The Sharks, though, refused to get routed.</p> <p>Couture quieted Joe Louis Arena at 18:16 of the first, and Boyle silenced the fired-up fans when he made it 2-1 at 13:44 of the second.</p> <p>The Sharks had their first power play 4:12 into the third, shortly after tying the game, but didn’t take advantage. San Jose had another power play with 8:25 left and failed to score.</p> <p>”It was getting hairy near the end,” Bertuzzi said.</p> <p>Bertuzzi started the scoring with a spectacular play, making a 360-degree spin with the puck and beating Niemi with a backhander from the right circle.</p> <p>From the other circle, Lidstrom’s slap shot off a long rebound made it 2-0 midway through the first period. The defenceman got control of a pass with his left skate, whacked the puck out of the air, and bounced it past Niemi.</p> <p>”You guys were talking about retirement,” Babcock said when asked about the 41-year-old Lidstrom’s performance. “I think he answered that pretty good.”</p> <p>The cheers turned to groans seconds later when Helm had a giveaway, and Howard gave up what seemed like a soft goal to Couture. Howard went low and Boyle shot high after a cross-ice pass caught back-checking forward Jiri Hudler out of position to make it 3-2 midway through the second period.</p> <p>The Red Wings were scrambling to keep up with San Jose on the tying goal, too, leaving Heatley alone in front for a shot that Howard couldn’t stop.</p> <p>In front of a standing crowd, Detroit made the big play in the heart-pounding final minutes to avoid elimination.</p> <p>”It was a huge adrenaline rush,” Howard said. “Our fans were going crazy the last 10 minutes of the game. That really helped energize us.”</p> <p>NOTES: The 2010 Flyers, 1942 Maple Leafs and 1975 Islanders are the only NHL teams to overcome 3-0 deficits to win a best-of-seven series. … Lidstrom’s first goal gave him 181 career playoff points, breaking a second-place tie with Ray Bourque for scoring by a defenceman, and broke an 11th-place tie overall with Jaromir Jagr. … LW Ryane Clowe assisted on each of San Jose’s goals, giving him 12 points to rank among scoring leaders this post-season.</p>