Road Trip Salvaged?

The Red Wings’ convincing 5-1 win over a hot Phoenix Coyotes team Thursday night seems to be a sign that the Wings salvaged the road trip that they started 0-3 on.

The Coyotes came into the game on a seven-game winning streak, the last five on the road, but were never really in this one no matter the score.

Detroit outshot Phoenix 20-1 over one stretch of the game, a stat that shows just how much the game was controlled by the Red Wings.

And Detroit played a complete game. Unlike previous games on this now-completed trip, the Red Wings didn’t give their opponent a chance to get back in the game. Even when the Coyotes tied things up early in the third, the Red Wings remained in control, as shown by the four goals they would score later in the period.

Tomas Holmstrom picking up his second career hat trick and Dominik Hasek yet again lowering his goals-against average are two flashy things to be taken away from the game but two more important things could be overlooked: That Nicklas Lidstrom is okay and that the Detroit power play scored three times.

Yeah, Detroit had ten chances with the extra attacker, but earlier in the season it wouldn’t have mattered, they still wouldn’t have scored. If the Red Wings can keep the power play running smoothly, they’ll have a much easier second half of the schedule.

That part of the season seemed to be more in doubt early in the second, with Lidstrom lying on the ice after taking a shot to the side of his knee. Lidstrom returned for a shift several minutes later, no worse for the wear.

Two roster notes: Josh Langfeld was returned to the Grand Rapids Griffins and was joined by goalie Joey MacDonald, sent down for a conditioning stint.