The first game of this year's playoff matches for me to watch was always going to be this game after following the Wings all season. This is the first ever match review i have written so any comments on content would be good. Hopefully as the playoffs go on these will get better!
Niklas Kronwall was back in the Wings Lineup after missing the last 5 games replacing Kindl. Howard and Bryzgalov started between the pipes.
First 2 minutes of the game were all pressure from the Coyotes, keeping the puck low without creating a clearcut chance. They took full advatage of their pumped up start though with Kyle Turris hitting a quick one time shot into the net after 2.16.
This woke the Wings up and Bryzgalov made his 1st big save at 3.55 off of Danny Cleary as he was wide open in front. A good minute or so of pressure from the Wings followed with Bertuzzi having half a chance as well.
The Coyotes then managed some pressure themselves back on the Detroit net and with around 7 minutes gone this was a pretty even contest. The Coyotes were doing a good job at getting the puck into the zone, keeping it in there and getting some pressure whilst the Wings attacks were quick with players skating the puck hard into the zone.
8.53 saw the first penalty of the game on Filpula of the Wings. Only 30 seconds later Nick Lidstrom was called for a hook and the Coyotes went on a 5 on 3 for 1 minute 30 seconds.
Detroit held tight and defended the powerplays magnificantly, bringing the crowd into the game for the first time - a standing ovation for the penalty killers.
Only a minute or so later though and Abdelkader was sent to the bin for an impetous high stick towards the head of Jovanovski, sending the Wings back on the PK.
A brilliant skate clear on the kill by Darren Helm lead to a slashing call on the Coyotes and there was around 30 seconds of 4 on 4 before the Wings had their 1st bit of PP time.
After a minute of pressure on the PP the puck cleared the zone after a misplaced pass from behind the net. Rafalski and Lidstrom went back to recover it and they seemed to run into each other, Doan picking the puck up and skating in on Howard. He pulled a deke on Howard and went forehand but Howard stayed with him and he lost the puck off his stick, it rolling meaninglessly wide.
The last 5 minutes of the period played out pretty quickly, Helm picking up another 2 minutes for hooking with 1.11 left in the period but no real chances at the end of the period.
Coyotes outshot the Redwings 11-9 in the 1st and should have been more than 1 up. Not capitalising on Detroit's indiscipline and an under par 1st period from the Wings, Coyotes played well but didn't take full advantage .
The Coyotes started the 2nd with 49 seconds of PP time left.and 49 seconds in a long shot bounces of the lively Joe Luis boards infront to Ray Whitney and Howard slides across to get his left pad down to the shot. The 1st world class save of the series to stop the Coyotes taking a 2-0 lead early on.
TheWings killed off the penalty and got some momentem going, Lidstrom having a blast from the point tipped by Franzen in front, the redirect going just wide.
Another penalty is then called on the Wings at 4.12 on Eaves infront of Howard. A soft call but the 2nd period starting where the 1st period left off. The Wings can't keep out of the box.
Jimmy Howard then pulls off another great save within the first 30 seconds of the kill from Hanzal.
5.30 into the period and Hanzel is called for holding the stick of Brad Stuart, wiping off the rest of the PP and giving Detroit their 2nd chance with a minute of PP time.
The PP was killed off but at 7.32 Franzen took the puck shortside to the net, Bryzgalov stook to his post and fielded the puck off behind the net. Pavel Datsyuk picked it up and in a flash pulled a wraparound move and put the puck into the net. Bryzgalov held a second too long on his shortside and the speed of Datsyuk created the split second needed to pull off the move before he could get a pad over to save it.
At the 10 minute mark a collison at the Detroit blue line with Klesla and Bertuzzi sees Bertuzzi offer Klesla to drop the gloves, with Klesla obliging. Bertuzzi slips and the fight doesnt get going, Bertuzzi trying to throw a couple of punches from the ice as the linesmen skate in. To be fair, Klesla could have hit Bertuzzi harder on the blue line collison but seemed to step out of a full blown hit.
12.02 in the 2nd saw the Wings take their 1st lead of the series. Franzen skating in over the blue line and rifling a shot past Bryzgalov after the Coyotes lost the puck trying to bring it out of their own zone. Un-assisted goal and what a rocket! The goal lead to more Redwings pressure and the crowd raised the noise level in the Joe.
16.04 saw Ed Jovanovski called for hooking and after almost 4 minutes of tough play from both teams the Coyotes wouldn't have appreciated having this penalty called on them. And they didn't. Brian Rafalski scoring from the blue line at 18.16 on a one time shot, Cleary infront making it impossible for Bryzgalov to see the shot. Coyotes struggled to clear the puck on the PP leading to the goal.
A brilliant 2nd period with Detroit really dominating since the penalties at the start of the period, outshooting the Coyotes 17-8.
The Wings continued their 2nd period dominance into the 3rd period and took a 4-1 lead at 3.16 in the 3rd. Jonathon Ericson making a hit on the blueline and in a flash Drew Miller sent Jiri Hudler down the left wing and he fired the puck high over the shoulder of Bryzgalov. Fantastic wrist shot.
The next goal action was at 7.38 as an innocent play from the Coyotes saw the puck chipped high over the blue line, Hanzal tapped it back to Verbata and he sent the puck flying into the far side of Howard's goal. A quick snapper of a shot.
The goal seems to bring the Coyotes back to life a bit and a penalty on Abdelkader saw them head onto a PP so soon after their goal. The Wings killed that off comfortably and the 3rd period played through as an even period with neither team really creating any clear cut chances other than Danny Cleary missing a wide open net with Bryzgalov pulled.
My star of the game - Johan Franzen. Assist on the Datysuk goal and the important go ahead goal to put the Wings 2-1 up and they never looked back.
Stats for the game as follows:-
Wings outshoot the Coyotes 36-28
Wings Scorers
Franzen 1 + 1
Hudler 1 + 0
Rafalski 1 + 0
Hudler 1 + 0
Filppula 0 + 1
Holmstrom 0 + 1
Miller 0 + 1
Coyotes Scorers
Vrbata 1 + 0
Turris 1 + 0
Hanzal 0 + 1
Doan 0 + 1
Whitney 0 + 1
Korpikoski 0 + 1
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