SB Nation Detroit - NHL Playoffs 2011: Red Wings Sweep Coyotes With 6-3 Win In Game 4https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48919/detroit-fave.png2011-04-21T14:21:29-04:00http://detroit.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18874662011-04-21T14:21:29-04:002011-04-21T14:21:29-04:00Jimmy Howard Saving His Smile For June
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<p>Following Wednesday's <a href="http://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-red-wings/2011/4/21/2124231/nhl-playoffs-2011-red-wings-coyotes-score-sweep">series-clinching victory</a> for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/">Red Wings</a> over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/phoenix-coyotes">Coyotes</a>, Detroit goaltender <span>Jimmy Howard</span> was asked in a postgame interview why he hadn't cracked a smile. After all, Howard had plenty of reasons to be happy. He played outstanding during the series against the Coyotes and helped the Red Wings pull off the lone sweep of the first round of the 2011 NHL playoffs.</p>
<p>The reason Howard was reluctant to smile is because he views the series sweep of the Coyotes as merely the first step toward a bigger goal: winning the Stanley Cup. While he and the rest of the Wings deserve to take in their impressive first-round performance for a couple days, they can't lose focus on the ultimate prize at hand.</p>
<p>The Wings are a veteran group of players, so it's not expected they will lose their focus. That group includes Howard, by the way. He may technically only be in his second season and he does only have three playoff series under his belt, but he was speaking with a veteran's mindset after Wednesday's game.</p>
<p>Responding to the aforementioned question about why he hadn't smiled much, he said, "I'll smile in June." If things go according to plan, everybody wearing the Winged Wheel will be smiling in June following another Stanley Cup championship. (Video of Howard's interview is after the jump.)</p>
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https://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-red-wings/2011/4/21/2125114/jimmy-howard-saving-his-smile-for-juneSean Yuille2011-04-21T01:33:41-04:002011-04-21T01:33:41-04:00NHL Playoffs 2011: Red Wings Sweep Coyotes With 6-3 Victory
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<p>15 years ago in Winnipeg, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/">Detroit Red Wings</a> finished off the Jets in the final game before that franchise moved to Arizona and became the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/phoenix-coyotes">Coyotes</a>. With speculation swirling about the Coyotes potentially moving back to Winnipeg this summer, the Red Wings may have delivered the death blow to another era of the Coyotes/Jets franchise on Wednesday night. Detroit beat Phoenix, 6-3, to pull off a series sweep and send the Coyotes packing for the offseason and potentially for a move back to Canada as well.</p>
<p>The story of this game in the first period was puck luck. The Red Wings had none, and the Coyotes managed to take a lead thanks to it. Following a marvelous play by <span>Pavel Datsyuk</span> to set up a <span>Tomas Holmstrom</span> goal as he was falling down, the Coyotes scored a pair of goals thanks directly to puck luck. Neither goal was <span>Jimmy Howard</span>'s fault, as both were scored because the puck redirected off the skate of a Red Wings defenseman and into the net. The second goal gave Phoenix its first lead since Game 1 of the series, but <span>Patrick Eaves</span> evened things up before the first intermission thanks to an outstanding play by <span>Darren Helm</span> to not only get the puck, but also to make the centering pass that set up the goal.</p>
<p>The story of the second period was converting power plays. The Coyotes' <span>Martin Hanzal</span> scored 1:09 into the second on a power play to give Phoenix a 3-2 lead. Jimmy Howard was caught out of position and couldn't slide over to make the save.</p>
<p>The Coyotes' lead didn't hold up for long thanks to a Red Wings power-play goal. The puck squirted out of a mad scramble in front of the net and went right to <span>Niklas Kronwall</span>. He fired a wrister past <span>Ilya Bryzgalov</span> for the game-tying goal at the 4:49 mark of the second period.</p>
<p>Things were quiet during the rest of the second period and for more than half of the third. Then puck luck once again became the story, but this time it was on the side of the Red Wings. With 6:19 to go in the third, Dan Cleary secured control of the puck next to the boards and below the goal line. He hesitated and then decided to fire the puck on net. Somehow Bryzgalov wasn't guarding the post and the puck bounced off him and into the net, putting the Red Wings up 4-3. Less than two minutes later, <span>Todd Bertuzzi</span> picked up a goal when the puck redirected off the skate of a Coyotes player in the crease and drifted into the net past Bryzgalov. The puck luck was without a doubt in the Red Wings' favor when it mattered most, although Eaves needed none when he fired the puck into an empty net to seal the 6-3 victory and finish off the Coyotes.</p>
<p>With the sweep, the Red Wings become the only team that is able to sit back and relax right now. Every other series is still going on and has seen both teams pick up at least one victory. This is great news for the Red Wings because they get to rest and heal up while the other playoff teams continue to beat up on each other. Considering <span>Henrik Zetterberg</span> missed all four games of the series and <span>Johan Franzen</span> was out for Game 4, the potential week-long break will definitely be welcomed by Detroit.</p>
<p>As for potential opponents in the second round, it depends what the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.nucksmisconduct.com/">Canucks</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthefin.com/">Sharks</a> do. If Vancouver finishes off Chicago as most expect they will, then the Canucks will play the lowest-seeded team in the second round. That would leave Detroit playing San Jose if the Sharks beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/">Kings</a> (SJ leads the series 2-1 right now). If the Sharks were to be upset, Detroit would have home-ice advantage in the second round no matter what the Canucks do, so from that standpoint a Kings upset would be ideal for the Red Wings.</p>
<p>Whatever happens, it will be nice for the Red Wings to have a week or so off before they have to kick things into high gear again.</p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-red-wings/2011/4/21/2124231/nhl-playoffs-2011-red-wings-coyotes-score-sweepSean Yuille2011-04-20T18:07:25-04:002011-04-20T18:07:25-04:00NHL Playoffs 2011: Red Wings Go For Sweep Coyotes
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<p><b>Game 4: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/">Detroit Red Wings</a> (3) at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/phoenix-coyotes">Phoenix Coyotes</a> (0) 10:30 p.m. EST<br>TV: Versus, Fox Sports Detroit</b></p>
<p>For the Detroit Red Wings, this could be the last time they have to come to Phoenix in this first round playoff matchup. For the Phoenix Coyotes, this could be the last game they play in Phoenix, period. </p>
<p>The Red Wings can sweep the Coyotes out of the first round with a win tonight. Detroit, which leads the best-of-seven series 3-0, will be heading home whether they win or lose as they host a potential Game 5 on Friday. Phoenix on the other hand may not have a home at all if the Red Wings prevail.</p>
<p>The Coyotes' ownership situation is <a href="http://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-coyotes/2011/4/20/2123135/phoenix-coyotes-deal-parties-and-interloper-to-meet-some-kind-of-end">as murky as ever</a>. Businessman Matthew Hulsizer is apparently still in the running to keep the team in the desert, but reports out of Canada have been swirling that the deal is close to dead. Winnipeg-based True North Entertainment is said to be waiting in the wings to buy the team if Hulsizer can't, with plans to move the club back to its original home in Manitoba once the Coyotes are eliminated.</p>
<p>If the latter is true, it would highly ironic: the Red Wings were the last team the Winnipeg Jets played before they were moved to Phoenix. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Coyotes have an actual game to worry about. The Coyotes haven't been able to keep up with the Red Wings at even strength, as Phoenix has scored five of their seven goals in the series on the power play. At 5-on-5, Detroit has outscored Phoenix 9-2.</p>
<p>The Red Wings have done this without leading scorer <span>Henrik Zetterberg</span>, who is expected to miss his fourth-straight playoff game tonight with an MCL sprain. The team is hoping that they can win the series without Zetterberg and have him return in the second round.</p>
<p><b>Detroit Injuries</b><br>OUT: Henrik Zetterberg, MCL; <span>Chris Osgood</span>, groin<br><b>Phoenix Injuries<br></b>Questionable: <span>Derek Morris</span>, upper body</p>
<p><b>Who to watch</b><br><span>Johan Franzen</span>, Red Wings: Franzen had a 13-game playoff point streak snapped, but he started another one with a sick breakaway goal in Game 3.</p>
<p><span>Ilya Bryzgalov</span>, Coyotes: Bryzgalov has been left out to dry in the series, but he's not been his best either. He needs to be better if the Coyotes plan on taking the series back to Detroit.</p>
<p><b>Lines</b><br><a href="http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2011/04/red_wings_darren_helm_has_made.html">No surprises </a>as head coach Mike Babcock will stick with the same group that won the first three games:</p>
<p>Forwards<br>Franzen-Pavel Datsyuk-Tomas Holmstrom<br>Danny Cleary-Justin Abdelkader-Todd Bertuzzi<br>Jiri Hudler-Valtteri Filppula-<span>Drew Miller</span><br>Kris Draper-Darren Helm-<span>Patrick Eaves</span></p>
<p>Defense<br>Nicklas Lidstrom-Brad Stuart<br>Jonathan Ericsson-Brian Rafalski<br>Niklas Kronwall-<span>Ruslan Salei</span></p>
<p>Goalies<br><span>Jimmy Howard</span> <br><span>Joey MacDonald</span></p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/2011/4/20/2333876/nhl-playoffs-2011-red-wings-go-for-sweep-coyotesRyan Weiss