commentary...

Red Wings simply out-played Coyotes in game one... Pavel Datsyuk,and Johan Franzen both scored,and played big on defense,throughout the game... after scoring 2:16,into game,Phoenix had chance to go up,2-0,after five penalties,in first period,and a two-man advantage,of about 1:30,the Red Wings killed all the chances of the Coyotes,on their power play,for the night,and four goals,by the Red Wings,in between goals,by the Coyotes... they played shut-down defense for last two periods,even though the Coyotes tried to ruffle their demeanor,in third period,but Jimmy Howard,and the Red Wings out-worked the Coyotes... the two goals,by the Coyotes,were very good shots,but the Coyotes could not get enough men in front of Howard to bother him... that must change for the Coyotes,in game two,because the Coyotes do have more grit overall,but the Red Wings may have reputation,of a finesse team,but they will not back down,if challenged... ask Claude Lemieux,whose big malicious hit,in the 1996 playoffs,on Kris Draper,virtually started the decade-long war,between the Red Wings,and the Avalanche,when Darren McCarty pounded him into the ice,at Joe Louis Arena,during a 1997 regular season game... McCarty even said recently,during an autograph session,with Lemieux,that he would do it again,if need arises... to score only two goals,during that type of game,in which Red Wings are playing that superb,you have no chance,unless you start throwing bodies in front of Howard,to block his vision,and get garbage goals,with tips of the puck,around net,because Red Wings are going to harass their opponents into mistakes,and going to score goals,and will keep digging for goals... the Coyotes do not have the firepower,but are a team who wins when they scrap,and claw,for goals... Dave Tippett(Coyotes' coach) needs to steal a game,in giving his goaltender(Ilya Bryzgalov) more support,in solving the Red Wings' penalty kill,with a more potent power play,and give a better back check,and harass the Red Wings,into mistakes,in front of Howard,because going nearly 200 feet every time,will not work on the Red Wings... basically,they really need to shorten the distance,between the puck,and shooting it at Howard,over,and over... Howard will get better,so the Coyotes need to upset,ruffle,and throw him off his mental game,by bumping him some,and not interfere,with him... if Coyotes do not improve on those areas of concern,Red Wings will go up,2-0,in series,and be tough to beat,in this first round....