Wings/'Yotes Game 4

Somewhat of a strange start time in the Motor City. No complaints here. Just wondering if it has something to do with the other early games. Stagger the start times for crazy hockey fans like myself. You know, intermissions at different times so you can watch some more pucks instead of talking heads.

National anthem and a few 8 leggers out there to kick things off.

Not too much flow the 1st 4 minutes. Couple of offsides for both teams. Dan Cleary get whistled for interference and the Dogs go on the power play. Phoenix doesn't get much going until there is 5 secs left in the man advantage. Howard shuts the door.

Of all the other games I watched so far, this one does not have that playoff feel. Feels like game 15 sometime in the middle of November. Maybe the Wings are trying to put them to sleep.

And the alarm clock has me wide awake. A big scrum after a whistle, coincidental minors and during the ensuing 4-on-4 we have a bank shot that looks in on some angles and out on some others. No official review and we play on at 0-0 halfway through the 1st period.

Little less than 5 minutes to go and we get to see how the Wings do on the power play. Here's a hint for the Coyotes....Holmstrom is gonna screen the goalie.
Bryzgalov makes a couple nice saves and has already faced 15 shots.

Phoenix takes a lazy penalty and Detroit goes back on the power play. Swing and a miss for them.

The period ends with the Coyotes being grossly outshot.

Still scoreless halfway through the 2nd period. Maybe it's the fact that Detroit has had so much playoff success recently but the crowd seems very ho-hum. In my opinion, it is tranlating to their game on the ice too.

Power play for Phoenix. Franzen with a huge cross-check in front of the net. They don't dent the twine but it was bombs away on Jimmy Howard.

Almost get through 40 minutes with no score. A goal is reviewed for a stick above the shoulder and stands. 1-0 Detroit. Shortly thereafter, Detroit goes down a man and Howard saves the day and saves everything else to keep the Coyotes off the board.

1-0 Wings end of 2. And I will make the comment for the 8 millionth time. The crowd seems bored to death.

5 minutes into the third and Detroit is continuously coughing up the puck just inside their blue line. Coyotes cannot seem to hit the net and tie this thing up.

A little less than 8 minutes to go in the game Phoenix has a 2 man advantage. Hey, the crowd is into now. 53 minutes of hockey and it's the 1st "Let's Go Red Wings" chant I heard. Now less than 6 minutes and still 1-0 Wings.

Uh-oh. Detroit is pouring it on. 3-0 after goals by Datsyuk and Zetterberg 25 seconds apart. 3 minutes to go.

Jimmy Howard makes 29 saves to earn his 1st career playoff shutout

Heading back to the desert for Game 5 on Friday night with the series tied 2-2.