Morning Skate: Do or Die, Part II

We all know what's on the line tonight in San Jose: a Detroit win continues the series while a San Jose win sends the Sharks to the next round. So, like on Friday night, the Red Wings are faced with a "do or die" situation tonight.

The big question will be how each team responds to the dramatic late game heroics from Darren Helm. The Red Wings can build on that game and keep the pressure on the Sharks. However, San Jose can turn that game into a motivational factor to say that they won't let this series go past today's game. 

The game starts at 8:00 PM EDT tonight and will air on VERSUS. 

Fear The Fin is your SB Nation Sharks' site.

More after the jump.

Expected line-up:

Jimmy Howard (starting)

• The Wings need to ignore the 3-1 series lead that San Jose has and just take thing one shift at a time. I know it sounds cliche to take things "one step at a time" while facing a deficit like this but it is indeed the best mindset to have playing the game. If the Wings can just come out and play solid from shift to shift, we'll see a good effort. 
• Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! Make sure you take some time out to wish and thank the mothers that you know for everything they do.
• Finally, the Red Wings are making Antti Niemi look vulnerable. He's been giving up some big rebounds and one such rebound set up the game-winning goal on Friday night . The Wings need to continue to put the pressure on Niemi and not allow the San Jose defense to bail him out.
• I like this hockey thing so let's keep doing it a few more weeks. Sound good, Wings?
• Assuming that he plays, I'm looking for a goal out of Johan Franzen tonight. I know he's had trouble with his ankle and it's limited his ability to be effectively mobile at times but he can still shoot. Franzen's a big scoring threat and even though he's limited because of his health, he still ends up commanding respect from opposing defenders.
• Simply put, go out there and kick some ass.