Game Four Pregame Notes

Not much to say about tonight’s oddly-timed Game Four.

The game is set to start at 6:30 and the Red Wings have to be there on time. This is as close to a must-win as it gets without actually facing elimination.

Brian Rafalski has skipped the last two practices for Detroit but is expected to play tonight. Shane Doan is out for Phoenix, with Vernon Fiddler back in the lineup to replace him.

The Red Wings have to take advantage of the Doan-less Coyotes. Phoenix was a noticeably less-energetic team with Doan out of the lineup on Sunday but Detroit was so slow and slow apathetic that it didn’t matter.

And I know that one reader who emailed me on Sunday will say that kind of thinking doesn’t give credit to the Coyotes. That’s because it’s not intended to. In Game One the Coyotes clearly outplayed Detroit. In Game Three they did not, it was just that the Wings were that bad.