DETROIT -- Sluggishness in their first home game following a West Coast trip has been an issue for the Detroit Red Wings for several years.



It surfaced in the first round of the playoffs, when they lost Games 3 and 6 at Joe Louis Arena after returning from Phoenix.



But after flying home from San Jose on Monday, the Red Wings can't afford to be jet-lagged Tuesday in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Sharks. San Jose has a 2-0 lead.



"Reality is we've been a pretty good team all year (at home)," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We've been better on the road in the playoffs. Now, we got to go home and get ourselves regrouped.



"Now, we have to answer the call and hold serve at home. As long as you hold serve at home, then you're back (to San Jose for Game 5) with a best-of-3.''



The Sharks do not have a good history in Detroit. The Red Wings are 29-4-1-1 (W-L-T-OTL) during the regular season and 6-3 in the playoffs against San Jose at Joe Louis Arena.



"We're confident playing at home, but playoffs are different than the regular season,'' Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "We know we have to play a lot better for 60 minutes to have success against this team.''



Expect a bit of a chess match between Babcock and his former assistant, Sharks coach Todd McLellan, as they try to get favorable matchups.



"They got last change, they play extremely well there, they'll have a bit of energy because their fans will be behind them,'' McLellan said. "We face a very tough task. There's been many teams that have been up against that group before and haven't restarted the task.



"I don't think you carry momentum over from one game to the next, you have to re-establish that.''



