Gene Principe

San Jose Sharks' Joe Pavelski has been quite a revelation in these 2010 playoffs; his play has garnered national headlines and even attention from the wives' of opposing coaches.

"I was driving the kids around (Monday) and my wife says to me 'Where's that Joe Pavelski from? He's a stud,'" Detroit's Mike Babcock said. "I said, 'Thanks for the tip.'"

Yes, the Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup winning coach appreciated the help but doesn't need it. He knows that Pavelski's play is a big part of San Jose's success.

"It's nice to hear she has that opinion," Pavelski responded. "Now I just have to keep playing like that so people will continue to have that opinion of me."

At this point it doesn't look like Pavelski will be slowing down. He has a five-game scoring streak heading in to Game 3; four goals in the first two games of the series against the Wings and leads the NHL in playoff goals with nine. If you believe in the saying that a series doesn't begin until the home team loses then Tuesday night in Detroit might be the start of something.

"We know how important Game 3 is," Nicklas Lidstrom said on Tuesday. "We feel comfortable at home and can't let this game get away from us."

If there is anyone who understands that the Wings can still heat up is San Jose coach Todd McLellan, who spent three years as an assistant with Detroit before moving to San Jose.

"There were times during my years there that we were down by two games," explained McLellan. "But never 2-0 to start a series. However, these are the Wings they are Stanley Cup champions and they won't be quitting. Being up 2-0 in the series means nothing."

Being down 2-0 was the situation Detroit found itself in back in 2003, when the Babcock-coached Anaheim Ducks won Game 3 before going on to win the series in a sweep. But the year, in 2002, Detroit trailed Vancouver 2-0 but won Game 3, the series and eventually the Stanley Cup.

San Jose knows that stretching its current five-game playoff win streak to six will be difficult as the team has always had trouble at Joe Louis Arena. Since the Sharks were born it has won just eight times in 44 games at 'The Joe'.