Tomas Holmstrom broke a 1-1 tie with 8:51 remaining in the third period Friday night, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game Five of their Western Conference Quarterfinal matchup.
The Red Wings now lead the series 3-2. It’s the first time they’ve led in these playoffs.
Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom set up Holmstrom’s goal. Datsyuk won an offensive-zone faceoff back to Lidstrom for a shot from the blue line. The shot slipped through Phoenix netminder Ilya Bryzgalov but was knocked down by Holmstrom and defender Adrian Aucoin, who were in behind the goalie. Holmstrom found the puck before Aucoin or Bryzgalov and swatted it into the open net to put the Red Wings up 2-1.
Datsyuk made it 3-1 just 70 seconds later. Holmstrom worked the puck from behind the net to Johan Franzen on the left wing boards before Franzen got it to Datsyuk all alone at the top of the crease. Datsyuk spun and lifted a backhander off the post and into the top corner of the net.
Henrik Zetterberg added an empty net goal in the game’s final minute to wrap up the scoring.
Drew Miller had opened the scoring for Detroit, scoring on a wraparound chance with 2:56 left in the first period. Bryzgalov stopped Miller’s initial chance but the rebound bounced off Coyote Vernon Fiddler’s skate and back past Bryzgalov.
Ed Jovanovski tied the game up at 9:45 of the second, just 13 seconds after the expiration of a Phoenix power play, banging home the rebound of an Aucoin shot from the point while standing on Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard’s pad.
The Coyotes had a chance to take a 2-1 lead early in the third period, when Martin Hanzal jumped out of the penalty box to take a pass and break in on Howard. Howard knocked the initial shot aside and then dove back to grab the rebound chance, keeping the game knotted up.
Howard finished the night with 30 saves on 31 Phoenix chances. Bryzgalov stopped 25 of 28 shots he faced.
For the first time this series, neither team scored a power play goal. The Red Wings had six chances with the extra attacker while the Coyotes had five. Phoenix is now 0-for-19 on the power play since scoring on their first three tries in Game One.
Detroit will have a chance to win the series at home in Game Six on Sunday.
Phoenix was without captain Shane Doan for the second consecutive game. Doan has not played since leaving Game Three with a shoulder injury.
