DETROIT, Mich – These are not the Coyotes that anyone expected this season. After giving up their home ice advantage to Detroit in game two, the Coyotes came back in game three and wrestled the advantage back in a thrilling 5-2 win.
Ilya Bryzgalov was brilliant when he needed to be and the defense stepped back up to where they should have been in game two. The result was a tense, hard-fought match with the seasoned Red Wings.
Bryzgalov made 29 saves on the afternoon and frustrated Detroit on several close in chances especially in the third period.
Detroit’s Todd Bertuzzi was the most snake-bitten of the Wings as he had at least three glorious chances in the middle and final stanzas including a breakaway chance where the puck slid off his stick blade to the corner.
Phoenix’s Petr Prucha was awarded the first star of the game for his goal and his overall effort on the ice.
After a dismal effort from the entire team in game two, the youthful Coyotes re-established their high-energy approach to the game and it began early, 29 seconds early in fact, when Sami Lepisto netted the match’s opening goal.
There was never any real let-up to the game after that with each successive goal inspiring the opposition to play harder.
Jimmy Howard was solid in net for Detroit but yielded a soft marker in the third that made the score 4-2 shortly after the Wings had the deficit to one. The short-side goal off the stick of Radim Vrbata made the score 4-2 but did little to take the wind out of the Detroit sails as the club pushed the puck the rest of the game.
Coyotes’ captain and leader, Shane Doan, left the ice in the second period after suffering a “lower body injury”. He did not return to the game. No word was released on his condition or expectation of his return to the series.
Contact Lou.Lafrado@prohockeynews.com
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