Wings 4, Coyotes 3
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The Detroit Red Wings take the first round series lead 2-0 over the Phoenix Coyotes with a 4-3 win Saturday afternoon at Joe Louis.
Speaking on 97.1 The Ticket post-game Johan Franzen: "We played good and we'll take it to them when we go to Phoenix."
Franzen took a big hit and it was not immediately known if Franzen would return to the game, when he did return it was to great cheers in the arena.
"It lifts 'ya, it lifts a team," says Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. "It's a bit of a relief that we still had 'em," adds Howard.
Franzen told 97.1 The Ticket that he got hit in the numbers and at the boards. When asked about the difficulty playing with a large cut in his nose, Franzen says, "It's hard to breathe out there but it's fine...all that matters ( is the 2-0 series lead)."
Pavel Datsyuk scored and added two assists in the first period alone - including a marvelous move to set up a goal by Darren Helm.
Detroit already led 2-0 when Datsyuk poked the puck past a Phoenix player in the neutral zone and skated in on goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Datsyuk pulled the puck back between his legs before flipping a shot from close range that was saved. Helm was there for an easy goal on the rebound.
Datsyuk added another assist early in the second period for his first career four-point game in the playoffs.
Shane Doan scored twice for Phoenix, which nearly rallied from a four-goal deficit thanks to a suddenly potent power play.
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(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
