Adrian Aucoin netted the game-winner in
overtime, and the Phoenix Coyotes have won four straight games for the first
time in nearly two years with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
Aucoin also added an assist for the Coyotes, who got a late game-tying goal
from Petr Prucha to send the game into the extra session. Matthew Lombardi
also scored, as Phoenix secured its first four-game win streak since December
31, 2007-January 8, 2008, when it won five in a row.
"Obviously, I'm very happy," Aucoin said. "It wasn't anything too exciting,
but anytime you win an overtime game -- especially coming from behind against
a team like that -- it's a huge victory for the team."
Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots in the win, Phoenix's third in overtime this
season. The Coyotes are off to a roaring start despite their much-publicized
ownership problems, having won six of their first eight games.
Brett Lebda and Tomas Holmstrom scored for Detroit, which began a five-game
road trip with a loss to fall to 3-4-1 on the young season. Pavel Datsyuk
returned from a brief two-game absence due to injury and tallied two assists,
as did Henrik Zetterberg.
Chris Osgood had beaten the Coyotes five straight times but surrendered three
goals on 33 shots to take the loss.
After Phoenix tied the game late in regulation, they won it in overtime.
Aucoin streaked down the right side of the ice with a defenseman draped all
over him. He fired the puck harmlessly toward the goal, but Osgood misplayed
it, and the disc managed to sneak inside the left post for the game-winner at
1:57.
With 3:30 left in the opening period, and Phoenix on the power play, Aucoin
fired a shot from the point that bounced up in the air and over Osgood's head.
Osgood was unable to locate the puck before Lombardi slapped it into the net.
The Red Wings, though, responded late in the period on the power play.
Holmstrom was positioned nicely in front of the net and redirected a shot past
the unsuspecting Bryzgalov with 20 seconds remaining.
Detroit then moved in front with the only goal of the second period. Datsyuk
carried the puck into the offensive zone on the right side and quickly dished
cross-ice to Lebda, who one-timed a wrist shot into the back of the net at
7:45.
With 2:40 left in regulation, Phoenix tied it. A shot was put on net from a
sharp angle on the left side, and it appeared as though Osgood made the stop.
The puck was not secured though, and Prucha and Radim Vrbata frantically tried
to sneak the puck through. Prucha was eventually able to dislodge the disc
into the net to send the game to overtime.
"I thought (the Coyotes) were pushing the goalie into the net, and to me I
didn't think that was allowed," said Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock. "I
thought (the play should have been stopped). That doesn't matter; we were in a
situation set up to win a game...and we ended up shooting ourselves in the
foot and costing ourselves a point."
Game Notes
Detroit had won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the clubs...The Red Wings
will also face Colorado, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary on their road
trip...Detroit has lost three of four overall...Datsyuk missed the last two
games with an upper body injury...Phoenix is 3-0 in overtime this season,
while Detroit is 0-2.
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