AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine
Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk stormed into Phoenix and played like he hadn’t missed the last couple games. Datsyuk dazzled the crowd with several Datsyukian moves including one on Ed Jovanovski that (to borrow a great line from Mickey Redmond) still has Jovanovski fishing his jock-strap out of the rafters.
The Red Wings continued to produce on the power play, giving them at least one in every game played this season. The Datsyuk goal was an answer to a powerplay goal scored by the Phoenix Coyotes, the first that Detroit had allowed in nine chances. A highlight real pass by Datsyuk to the tape of Brett Lebda gave him a wide open cage to hit and the Wings a 2-1 lead.
Phoenix tied the game with two and a half minutes left on a questionable goal that was reviewed. In fact both of Phoenix’s goals were reviewed, but there was no question that the first goal counted. On the second goal, Chris Osgood was pushed into the net along with the puck, but the goal stood anyway.
In overtime, Wings forward Valtteri Filppula was robbed of a breakaway when the linesman failed to get out of the way and interrupted a pass. Almost immediately afterwards, Adrian Aucoin sent a weak wrist shot at Osgood that bounced off Osgood’s right pad and stick and wound up in the net.
In Play! Man of the Game: Pavel Datsyuk! Datsyuk came back from a two missed games from injury to net two assists and a couple takeaways; though in an effort of sportsmanship, Datsyuk should help someone find Jovanovski’s jock.
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