DETROIT (AP) — Joe Thornton scored twice and Antti Niemi made 30 saves in the San Jose Sharks’ 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.
Patrick Marleau had a goal and an assist and Ryane Clowe also scored for San Jose, which won its fourth straight
Henrik Zetterberg, and Tomas Holmstrom scored for Detroit, which has lost three in a row Nicklas Lidstrom had two assists and Jimmy Howard made 26 saves.
San Jose has eliminated Detroit in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past two seasons. It was a seven-game set last spring in which the Red Wings rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to for a decisive Game 7.
Thornton’s breakaway goal with 1:42 left in the second period snapped a 2-2 tie. and he added an empty-netter in the final minute.
