San Jose @ Detroit: Game Six Preview

Tonight, the San Jose Sharks will have an opportunity to advance and play the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference finals.

Vancouver's Henrik Sedin made it clear that he doesn't have any preference on what team he plays in round three:

We don't really care. It's two good teams again. We've been through two good teams already. We'll see. It's going to be long flights anyway, and we'll take whoever we get.

My prediction is that the Detroit Red Wings will get the home ice win and force a game seven.  Hopefully my prediction for tonight's game goes better than my prediction for last night's game.  Detroit's comeback in game five made it obvious that they were simply a more determined team than San Jose.  I'll pick determination over skill any day of the week - not to say that the Red Wings aren't one of the most talented teams in the tournament, of course.  Besides, with so many star players out with injuries for both sides, heart and determination will play an even larger role.

Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk will be playing through a wrist injury tonight that left Red Wing fans wondering if he was going to be playing in game five; he did.  Detroit will, however, be playing without Johan Franzen tonight due to an ankle injury.  Mike Modano will take take his spot for tonight's game on the top line with Tomas Holstrom and Pavel Datsyuk.  Modano will be playing in only his second playoff game this year - he also replaced Franzen for one game in Detroit's first round series against the Phoenix Coyotes.  Modano commented on his start tonight in a very humble, focused manner.

I'm excited just to be a part of it.  It's all you look forward to all season long, to be involved in some sense and be on the ice with these guys and competing -- knowing they're going through some physical and mental abuse out there and to kind of help lighten that load maybe and not be such a target.

It was tough last night sleeping, knowing that I was playing and there was no mystery about it.  It wasn't coming here and waiting and seeing after warm-up or whatever. In some sense that's good. In some sense that's bad. I mean, you get kind of restless sleep, but then again you have time to really think about what you want to do as a player and what's expected of you. It's a Game 6, elimination game and the fans are going to be very revved up.

Commenting on their third period collapse in game five, San Jose coach Todd McLellan said that "we'll make sure that we take it up a notch higher" in game six.

The Sharks are battling injuries of their own, and will be down Ryane Clowe because of "an upper-body injury."  Clowe is currently tied for second with thirteen points in the playoffs so far.  This will be an enormous loss for the Sharks.

In response to Clowe's absence tonight, McLellan said:

It puts a little more pressure on other players. He's obviously an important guy to our hockey club. It's not about the ones that are out of the lineup. It's about the ones that are in.

San Jose captain Joe Thorton's remarks sounded similar to McLellan's:

During the course of a year, you're going to have a guy that's out. Different guys have to step up. That's been the case all year. I wouldn't expect anything different from us tonight. Guys just have to pick up the slack for Clowe."

Detroit General Manager Ken Holland said that "we plan to be flying back for game 7."  I hope he's right.  Nothing is better than a game seven in playoff hockey, and it would be a shame for round two to come to an end so quickly without any game sevens.