What a wonderfully energetic and impetuous team they have other there in Phoenix.
Sure, it's really easy to be gracious after a win, but despite the frustratingly insistent nature of their play in the first two games, I like this team and think they'll be very difficult to put away.
The Coyotes, again, came out hard and made me, for one, very nervous. After taking a 1-0 lead into the locker-room after 1 period, the game got a little silly. It wasn't the kind of game I'd like to see from Detroit, nor did I think it would fare us well in the game. The second stanza turned out to be a 5-goal shootout, won by the Wings which saw the game tied at 3 after two frames.
The goal-trading continued in the first half of the final frame, albeit with a swap in who the leading team would be the first of them coming from Justin Abdelkader. And what a goal...
... remember him? Abby hadn't played in a little while, but he was returned to the line-up in place of a quiet Jason Williams, and I think it's safe to say he'll be sticking around for a bit after this game. "Gator" was hitting everything that moved all night, but his Datsyukian steal in the Coyotes' zone and deke past Bryzgalov was a play to remember.
After that, the Red Wings were.... the Red Wings. Momentum was seized and never yielded, solidifying the lead with a PP goal with just over 2 minutes left, and an empty-netter for Henrik Zetterberg, completing his hat-trick for the night and sealing a 7-4 victory for Detroit.
The Wings now have the home-ice advantage and look ahead to Game Three in Detroit on Sunday afternoon.
Notes:
- It was not a goalies' night -- Bryzgalov: 7-39, Howard: 4-31.
- Henrik Zetterberg recorded his first career hat-trick.
- The Zetterberg/Filppula/Bertuzzi line combined for 5 goals and 3 assists and a +5 rating.
- Shane Doan was the best Coyote with 1 goal and 1 assist with a +1 rating.
- Justin Abdelkader played his first NHL game since January 27 getting a goal and a +1 rating.
- Vernon Fiddler fell hard against the boards late in the third and was helped into the locker-room.
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