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Datsyuk, Red Wings hope to continue home dominance

Dec 1, 2007 - 2:15 PM Phoenix (11-12-0) at Detroit (17-6-2) 7:00 pm EST

DETROIT (Ticker) - Very few teams look forward to playing the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

Pavel Datsyuk will look to lead the Red Wings to their fourth consecutive home victory when they host the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday.

Detroit, which is an NHL-best 10-2-0 at home this season, has only lost to the Chicago Blackhawks at Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings are coming off another impressive home win, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-2, on Thursday.

Datsyuk scored a power-play goal in that contest. The Russian center has eight goals and 27 assists this season. He tallied six goals in November after notching just two goals over the first month of the season.

Datsyuk's linemate, Henrik Zetterberg, leads the team with 16 goals and 33 points. The 27-year-old Swede ranks fourth in the league in both of those categories.

The Coyotes are coming off an embarrassing 6-1 setback to the Blackhawks. Phoenix goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who was claimed off waivers on November 17, gave up five goals on just seven shots before being replaced 10 minutes into the contest.

After winning a season-high four straight games, the Coyotes will try to avoid a three-game losing skid against the league's best team. Detroit has beaten Phoenix five consecutive times, outscoring them 27-8 in that span.