The Sharks' penalty kill, which ranks first in the NHL (90.9 percent), was 3-for-3, including a tripping penalty against Brent Burns at 1:39 of overtime. The Red Wings had four shots on goal during the 4-on-3 power play.
"We have a good system and prepare well for each team and make adjustments against certain guys," Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson said. "And when we get out there, we're not thinking as much because they have control of the puck and we react, make good reads and our instincts take over more than usual probably."
Karlsson gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal at 12:32 of the second period.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic made it 2-0 at 1:11 of the second period with a slap shot from the left point.
Labanc scored at 18:59 of the first period for a 1-0 lead. It was his sixth goal; he didn't score his sixth goal last season until his 53rd game.
Athanasiou scored his first of the game with a backhand shot at 1:24 of the second period to make it 2-1.
"The fact he's starting to convert on those chances means he's feeling better about himself," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "I think he's competing really hard. I've really been impressed with his competitiveness level and his battle level. He's winning puck battles, so that's a great thing for us."
Taro Hirose scored for Detroit at 11:34 of the second period to tie it 2-2.
"We're obviously taking steps forward and we're trying to learn every game," Athanasiou said. "[We're] trying to become a full unit and play for a full 60 [minutes]. When we do that, we're a really good team and we can play with any of these teams in this league."
Labanc had the only goal of the shootout in the first round. Jones made saves against Frans Nielsen, Athanasiou and Larkin.
"I thought I made some good saves late in the game," Jones said. "But we hung in there and found a way to win. That's what we struggled to do early in the season."
