By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine
The Detroit Red Wings have lost the opening game of the playoffs, falling 3-2 to the Phoenix Coyotes.
Tomas Holmstrom scored first tonight, but quickly that lead was equalized by Keith Yandle. Late in the first period Nicklas Lidstrom scored to put Detroit to a lead again. In the second, Wojtek Wolski tied the game before Derek Morris game Phoenix the game winner in the third.
This game was down the wire through two, but was all Phoenix in the third. Phoenix just outworked Detroit in the final stanza and took over the game. Detroit was a train wreck today on the penalty kill, giving up goals on all of the first three times shorthanded. Tonight there were issues with consistency on penalty calling. While Phoenix accumulated more penalties than Detroit, the game winning goal was scored because of interference that was worse than the interference that had put Phoenix on the man advantage. Phoenix also wasn’t penalized when Lidstrom was high sticked while handling the puck midway through the third. That lack of a call cost Detroit a four minute powerplay as well as cost them the use of Lidstrom for roughly a quarter of the period.
In Play! Man of the Game: Derek Morris. Morris finished the game with three points (2 assists and the game winning goal) as well as a blocked shot and one of Phoenix’s 43 hits.
