Wings Have Rare Game 1 Loss, Trail 'Yotes

For the first time since the Conference Semi-Finals in 2006/07, the Red Wings have lost a series opener in the playoffs. Detroit won 4 of the next 5 games against the Sharks to win that series, the same sort of response will be required in this one to continue on in the playoffs.

Detroit faced a team last night that ran high on energy from a delirious Phoenix crowd enjoying their first taste of playoff hockey in 8 years.

The Wings drew first blood from a surprisingly bad goal given up by Vezina-contender Ilya Bryzgalov, but the Coyotes drive was admirable and weren't to be stopped. The Wings again gave Phoenix a deficit to look at but again they drew even and in the third period got the game-winner from the stick of Derek Morris to take Game One, 3-2.

Amid the unwelcome disappointment of a playoffs loss, there are positives to be taken from this tight game. Firstly, the Coyotes powerplay will almost certainly prove to be anomalous. Phoenix went 3/4 with the man-advantage, scoring on their first three chances in only 2:38 of cumulative powerplay time. All this against the best penalty killing team down the stretch. So, the PK can't get any worse. Improving that will go a long way to a W.

Further to that, the Coyotes were an electric team all night. Shot stats painted a muddy picture of the kind of game that was played. The Coyotes seemed to run on pure adrenaline for most shifts while making almost no mistakes in their own, nor the neutral zone. Even Dave Tippett wouldn't expect that kind of play to be sustained over a 7-game series.

It should also be kept in mind that the pressure remains on Phoenix for Game Two to hold onto their home-ice advantage. This is a pressure that the more experienced Red Wings will look to exploit to wrestle away the advantage.

Let's hope they can... stay tuned. Same place, same time, Friday night. Go Wings!