SAN JOSE, Calif. — — Moritz Seider scored the deciding goal with 6:06 left and the Detroit Red Wings defeated a four-point game by Erik Karlsson to beat the San Jose Sharks 7-4 Thursday night.
Karlsson brought San Jose back from a 4-2 deficit in the third period with his third assist and then equalizer in under three minutes.
But then Seider answered 2:23 later as he took a pass from David Perron and beat James Reimer for his first goal of the season.
“It was just a big goal for us back then and of course for him too,” said coach Derek Lalonde. “It was a huge gut blow to give up that two-goal lead. But our boys persevered and made a game and we found each other again.
Pius Suter added an insurance goal and Dominik Kubalik scored an empty net to help the Red Wings end a four-game losing streak.
Perron finished the game with one goal and two assists. Jake Walman, Filip Hronek and Joe Veleno also scored for Detroit. Ville Husso made 20 saves.
“We almost buckled, but we didn’t do it,” said Perron. “We stayed strong and that was great. Good two points.”
Kevin Labanc, Matt Nieto and Logan Couture scored for the Sharks, who have just one win in 10 home games this season. Reimer made 14 saves.
“I thought we had a chance to get a few points,” said Reimer. “Unfortunately we didn’t make it. I don’t have to wait for the question – I know I wasn’t good enough tonight.”
Detroit controlled the game in the second half and wore down the Sharks with long offensive zone shifts, goals from Perron and Walman giving them a 3-2 lead.
“I’m really proud of the boys. Was thoroughly overplayed in the first period, outplayed,” said Lalonde. “I challenged the guys a bit and we really turned that second period around. We started winning those fights, turned the game around and took the lead.”
The Sharks fell 4-2 in the third game before leveling when Karlsson’s shot deflected off a Detroit defender and past Husso.
Karlsson got off to a flying start this season with nine multipoint games in 19 competitions. He has a total of 11 goals and 17 assists, with his 28 points standing for the second-highest defender in his team’s first 19 games since the 1989–90 season.
Karlsson set up the first goal when he caught a pass that the puck dropped and sent a back pass between his legs to Labanc, who hit with a one-timer.
“He feels,” Labanc said. “He has this ability where the puck just doesn’t seem to leave his stick.”
After Hronek leveled the game, Karlsson overcame Nieto with a long pass and he ran through four defenders before defeating Husso with a backhand to make it 2-1.
BUYER RETURNS
Former Sharks coach Bob Boughner returned to San Jose for the first time since being fired after last season. He had a 67-85-23 record for the Sharks from 2019-22. Boughner, now an associate coach for Detroit, was confirmed on the video board in the second period.
NEXT
Red Wings: At the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
Sharks: host the New York Rankers on Saturday night.
——
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP–Sports