DETROIT -- The San Jose Sharks aren’t exactly making a strong effort to avoid spraying Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard with snow and ice chips while crashing the net.

It’s a common tactic, but one the Sharks seem to be taking to an extreme during the Western Conference semifinals. San Jose coach Todd McLellan said he doesn’t condone it.

"I have no time for gimmicks or circus acts or anything like that," McLellan said. "We’ll address it with our players. My feedback from them is there’s no intent."

The Red Wings aren’t buying that. If referees aren’t going to stop the snow showers by calling unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, Danny Cleary said his team should do likewise to Sharks goalie Antti Niemi.

"Maybe we should start snow showering," Cleary said. "The referees got to make a decision. If you let them get away with it, they’re going to do it again. So you have to take liberties."

Sharks center Joe Pavelski has been doing most of the spraying and doesn’t think it’s a big deal.

"If you come in and the puck’s been there for a long time, it’s unsportsmanlike conduct, but I don’t think that’s been the case," Pavelski said. "If we keep going hard to the net when the puck’s there, there’s nothing to call.

"I think (Niemi) has probably been sprayed a few times, too. It happened in the first round, it’s happened here and it’s probably going to happen again."

Howard insists he won’t be rattled, by being sprayed or having players poke at pucks that he has frozen.

"They’re just trying to get under my skin," Howard said. "I don’t care. They can come in and pitch-fork me all they want. They can do whatever they want. They’re not going to take me off my game."

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said his players have to avoid being distracted, while being disciplined and determined.

McLellan said his team must continue driving to the net.

"We are going to the blue paint. No one’s going to take that away from us," McLellan said. "We’re going to stop in the blue paint and we’re going to stand there and nothing’s going to change moving forward. I guess we have to be a little more cautious of where we stop in that blue paint."

Draper to make series debut

Kris Draper, a healthy scratch the first two games, will be inserted into the lineup in Game 3 tonight. He provides speed, kills penalties and is good in the faceoff circle.

"Games 1 and 2, personally, it was tough," Draper said. "It’s not about one individual. It’s about the team.

"I wasn’t in the mix, but stayed in the dressing room. I took warm-up. I did everything I could to hang around the guys, encourage the guys, talk to the guys between periods. Certainly, I’m going to have a lot more fun in Game 3 when I go out there and play because that’s what everyone wants to do at this time of year."

Mike Modano, also scratched the first two games, said he didn’t think he was playing in Game 3.

Babcock would not confirm any lineup changes, saying he hasn’t decided.

"In the regular season ... you’re trying to build your team, you’re trying to get everyone it, you’re trying to treat everyone with respect and play the right players at the right time," Babcock said. "At playoff time, you’re doing whatever you think as a coach is the right thing for your organization to win. That’s how simple it is. Does it make the conversation any easier? No, but I think that the decision part is actually easier."

Odds & ends

-- About eight Sharks attended the Tigers-Yankees game Monday at Comerica Park. Some fans recognized them and began chanting "Let’s go Red Wings!"

"We sat there until about the fifth (inning) and no one really said anything," Logan Couture said. "We walked up and down a couple of times, could see the people kind of staring at us a little bit. There was about 5-6 guys started the chant and we were all smiling and laughing about it. I’m sure some people had no idea why."

Couture said he is a diehard Toronto Blue Jays fan.

"I was wishing I brought my Blue Jays cap to wear," he said.

-- McLellan separated Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau during Tuesday’s practice, in anticipation of Babcock splitting Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

Thornton centered a line with Couture and Devin Setoguchi. Marleau was flanked by Ryane Clowe and Dany Heatley.