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Datsyuk leads Red Wings to fourth straight win

Dec 30, 2007 - 6:05 AM GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Even without his linemates, Pavel Datsyuk continues to thrive.

Datsyuk scored the game-winning goal late in the third period and set up two others as the Detroit Red Wings won their fourth consecutive contest with a 4-2 triumph over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Mikael Samuelsson and defenseman Brian Rafalski also tallied for the Red Wings, who have beaten the Coyotes in all three meetings this season and seven straight overall against their the Western Conference foes.

"It was a good professional win," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We have real good depth. We have good young players and they are getting a good opportunity right now, but Pavel brought it to another level. He and Nick (Lidstrom) were the best players on the ice tonight."

After a Coyotes turnover, Datsyuk led a rush up the ice. The Russian center made a quick stop at the left faceoff circle, waited for the defender to overskate the play and launched a wrist shot over the blocker of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to give the Red Wings a 3-2 edge with 4:06 remaining in the contest.

"I stopped quick because I didn't want to shoot the backhand," Datsyuk said. "I made the decision to shoot. I tried to shoot at the net and it got through."

Datsyuk has played the past three games without his usual linemates with both Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom nursing injuries, but that has not slowed him down. He has two goals and five assists over that stretch.

"Not just me, all the guys have been doing more," Datsyuk said. "We wanted to (focus) more on not just the offense but on defense with them out. The more and better we play now, it will be better for everyone when they come back."

Datsyuk registered the assist on Kris Draper's empty-netter with 35 seconds left that provided the final margin.

The Coyotes were able to control the league's top offense for most of the first period, but the Red Wings broke through with 4:46 left when Jiri Hudler faked a shot from the left circle, getting Bryzgalov to go to the right post. Hudler then passed to Samuelsson, who launched a wrist shot into a wide open net.

Phoenix responded with a pair of quick goals just 25 seconds apart midway through the second period.

Defensemen Ed Jovanovski tied the game at 1-1 with his 100th career goal and then Radim Vrbata gave the Coyotes the lead with a goal on a penalty shot. After Draper was called for tripping Vrbata on a breakaway, the Coyotes' leading goal scorer skated in wide, deked and flipped a backhander over the stick of netminder Chris Osgood.

"It was 2-2 and then it was pretty much whoever was going to score next," Vrbata said. "We were playing a tie game with the best team in the league - and that's pretty good - but we didn't score when we needed to."

Osgood had another solid night, making 32 saves and stopping all 13 shots he faced in the third period. The 35-year-old improved his record to an impressive 17-2-1 on the season.

"I'm just playing relaxed," Osgood said. "I'm confident, can't wait to play the next game and I don't worry about all the other stuff that is going on. I'm just having a lot of fun out there, and there is nothing more than that."

Detroit tied the game at 2-2 on a power play with 94 seconds remaining in the middle session when Datsyuk delivered a cross-ice pass to Rafalski, who fired a one-timer past Bryzgalov.

Bryzgalov turned aside 31 of the 34 shots he faced.

Phoenix has lost its last three games - all at home - after winning five of its previous six on a road trip.

"It was a 2-1 game, we had opportunities - including a 5-on-3 - but we came out of it with a 4-on-3 disadvantage. It is uncalled for," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said. "It was not very professional, it was our own fault. We talked about this for four days that we need the power play to score and it hasn't."