Final
Down 2-0, Coyotes host Red Wings in Game 3
Apr 18, 2011 - 3:25 PM (Sports Network) - After dropping the first two games of the Western Conference quarterfinals in Detroit, the Phoenix Coyotes will try to use home ice to get on the board tonight in Game 3 against the Red Wings at Jobing.com Arena.The third-seeded Red Wings took the opener by a 4-2 score and then grabbed a 2-0 series edge with Saturday's 4-3 victory over the visiting Coyotes.
Detroit jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before holding on for the Game 2 victory. It marked the 55th straight time the Red Wings had won a playoff game when scoring four or more goals.
Phoenix, which will also host Game 4 on Wednesday, had a 21-13-7 as the home team during the regular season. The Red Wings had a 26-11-4 record on the road during the 2010-11 regular season. Detroit also won last year's conference quarterfinal series against Phoenix by taking Game 7 at Jobing.com Arena.
Pavel Datsyuk had a terrific game for Detroit in Game 2, sparking a three-goal first period and collecting three assists in the 4-3 decision. Datsyuk has five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in the first two games of this series. The Russian star has also won 24 of his 37 faceoff draws in the set.
"We took too many penalties, which is interesting in itself, but I thought Pavel was real strong," said Detroit head coach Mike Babcock.
Brian Rafalski, Darren Helm and Tomas Holmstrom also scored for the Red Wings, while Jimmy Howard stopped 30-of-33 shots for the Central Division champions.
Holmstrom's tally gave Detroit a seemingly comfortable 4-0 lead 71 seconds into the second period, but the sixth-seeded Coyotes responded with three straight power-play goals -- the latter two by captain Shane Doan in a 2:48 span during the third period -- to pull within a goal.
After Radim Vrbata put Phoenix on the board in the middle stanza, Doan staked a claim in front of the crease and backhanded the rebound of a Keith Yandle shot behind Detroit's Jimmy Howard at 5:49.
Doan then drove Yandle's return feed past Howard from between the circles with a few seconds left on a 5-on-3.
"We just got to play like we did in the third period and we'll be okay," Yandle said.
Phoenix pulled Ilya Bryzgalov in favor of the extra attacker late in regulation, but couldn't produce an equalizer. Bryzgalov stopped 27-of-31 shots in the loss.
Derek Morris has missed both games in the series for Phoenix with an injury and fellow defenseman Ed Jovanovski was forced to leave Game 2 with an ailment. Both players are questionable for today with upper body injuries.
Meanwhile, Detroit has been able to grab a two games to none lead despite playing without leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg in both tests. Zetterberg, who led Detroit with 80 points during the regular season, is dealing with an MCL sprain in his left knee and he is expected to miss tonight's game as well.
The Coyotes have never won a postseason series since moving to Phoenix from Winnipeg. Phoenix has lost 17 times in its 19 all-time playoff series dating back to the franchise's days as the Jets. The club hasn't won a postseason series since Winnipeg bested Calgary in 1987 .
Detroit has won all three of its playoff meetings against the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise.
- DETROIT: 4
PHOENIX: 2
Final
Apr 19 1:10 AM - Phoenix Power-Play Goal - Martin Hanzal, from Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata at 13:00.
Red Wings 4, Coyotes 2 3rd - 7:00Apr 19 12:55 AM - DETROIT: 3
PHOENIX: 1
End of 2nd
Apr 19 12:13 AM - Phoenix Power-Play Goal - David Schlemko, from Mikkel Boedker at 11:43.
Red Wings 3, Coyotes 1 2nd - 8:17Apr 18 11:56 PM - DETROIT: 2
PHOENIX: 0
End of 1st
Apr 18 11:21 PM - DETROIT: 0
PHOENIX: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Apr 18 10:41 PM
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