Red Wings Winning Streak Continues Against Coyotes

The Detroit Red Wings won their eleventh-straight home game on Wednesday night, picking up a 4-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. The win was Detroit’s fifth in a row overall and pulled them to within a point of the idle Nashville Predators for first place in the Central Division and Western Conference.

The Coyotes got on the board first 9:06 into the game, when Owen Nolan swatted the puck past a sprawling Dominik Hasek from the top of the crease, where it was bouncing around several players’ skates.

Robert Lang got the Red Wings back even just 4:51 into the second, taking a perfectly-placed pass from the left wing boards by Brett Lebda at the far side of the crease and tipping it past former Detroit netminder Curtis Joseph.

Henrik Zetterberg’s first goal of the night put the Red Wings out in front with 3:33 remaining in the period. Zetterberg attempted a wraparound but started to lose control of the puck. As he moved into the left circle, he backhanded a shot that went over the diving Joseph and into the net.

Shane Doan pulled Phoenix even with 17 seconds remaining in the period, skating down the left wing and cutting to the goal. As Hasek came out to knock the puck away, Doan moved around him and put it into the empty net with one second remaining on a power play.

Zetterberg’s second of the night was the eventual game-winner. Just 3:22 into the third, his wrister from the top of the right circle deflected off of a Phoenix skate and over Joseph’s shoulder.

Pavel Datsyuk would add a mostly-empty-net goal with one minute remaining to clinch the victory. With Joseph at the bench but not off the ice, Datsyuk whipped a shot into the open net.

Doan’s goal was the only power play goal on the night, with Phoenix going 1-for-4 and Detroit going 0-for-5.

Detroit fired 48 shots on Joseph and he stopped 44 of them. Hasek made 20 saves on 22 shots against.

The Red Wings will get their chance to pass Nashville in the standings Thursday night when they visit the St. Louis Blues while the Predators host the Toronto Maple Leafs.

---

Defenseman Danny Markov left the game late in the third period with an apparent chest injury after taking a hit from Jeremy Roenick. He was taken to Detroit Medical Center for precautionary x-rays.