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NHL News | April 20, 2010
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Red Wings blank Coyotes 3-0 in Game 4 to even series
By Larry Lage
April 20, 2010
Detroit, MI — Jimmy Howard had a 29-save shutout and Henrik Zetterberg scored two goals to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-0 series-evening victory over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
Howard’s saves included one without his helmet.
Phoenix will be at home Friday night, but has to return to Detroit for Game 6 on Sunday.
Zetterberg’s first goal stood after a video review, which didn’t help the Red Wings get a call changed in their favor earlier.
Replays appeared to show Valtteri Filppula got a puck past the goal line before it bounced on it, lighting the lamp. A video review upheld the on-ice decision to wave off the goal. It turned out to be moot.
Pavel Datsyuk also scored for Detroit.
Ilya Bryzgalov made 32 saves for the Coyotes.
The Vezina Trophy finalist stopped the first 24 shots he faced, then gave up goals on three of the last 10 against him.
Zetterberg scored with 4:27 left in the second period, making the puck flutter past Bryzgalov off a blast from Niklas Kronwall.
Datsyuk scored on a one-timer in the right circle off Johan Franzen’s cross-ice pass with 4:07 left in the game and Zetterberg sealed the victory 25 seconds later with his fifth goal of the series.
The Red Wings stuck with their rookie in net after he gave up four goals in each of the previous two games, choosing to keep veteran Chris Osgood on the bench.
Howard rewarded their faith.
He passed his first test by making a kick save on Sami Lepisto’s shot in the opening minute and finished with a shutout for the first time in his four career playoff games.
Bryzgalov was really good, too, keeping Detroit scoreless for nearly 35 minutes and preventing them from taking a two-goal lead despite some good chances in the first half of the third period.
The Coyotes had a power play midway through the third period and just before Detroit killed it off, it was called for another penalty to give them two extra skaters.
Phoenix couldn’t take advantage, giving the fans at Joe Louis Arena a reason to cheer knowing they will see at least one more game at home.
Phoenix was without its leader and perhaps best skater, captain Shane Doan, whose right shoulder took the brunt of a collision with the endboards early in the second period of Game 3.
The Coyotes did get forward Vernon Fiddler back in the lineup after he got hit in the lip by a stick in Game 2 and was scratched from the next game.
Detroit coach Mike Babcock tweaked the lineup, replacing Tomas Holmstrom with Dan Cleary on the top line with Datsyuk and Franzen, but likely was most pleased with the change in intensity his team had to avoid being put on the brink of elimination.
The two-time defending Western Conference champions seemed to skate and hit harder, playing with a sense of urgency that they didn’t appear to have in Game 3 at home.
NOTES: Phoenix is hopeful Doan will be healthy enough to play in Game 5 after four days’ rest. … Datsyuk was named a finalist for the Selke Trophy, giving him a chance to win the award for the NHL’s top defensive forward for the third straight season.
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2010, 2009
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