Briefly:
Not Quite: … the followup game I was hoping for. The Wings at times looked dominant, but at others, they looked sad. There’s no way a team with the low-wattage offense of Phoenix should be able to get by on two goals against the Wings. But at least it didn’t end up in a shootout loss.
Jimmy: Looked strong, for the most part. He had to bail out the Wings a few times as the Coyotes more dangerous guys (Vrbata) threatened, but he took care of it and earned that 100th win.
It’ll be interesting to see if the collision he was involved in with a Coyote in the third will have any bearing on tomorrow’s game. He was favoring his knee a bit after that and it could be that it won’t feel right after he comes down from his game high.
Zetterberg: I guess it has been long enough since he tried that move in the shootout that it would work. Pretty sweet to see.
Datsyuk: Ruled into the lineup before the game and looked very good. His pass to Franzen on the game-tier in the third was incredible and one of a few examples last night of him being on his game.
Mursak: Still fast and still promising. The conditioning stint worked as far as getting him ready to play. It’ll be interesting to see how much he can stick in the lineup once Bertuzzi’s healthy.
Smith: Definitely did a good job holding the Coyotes in it. When the Wings were on their upswings, he more often than not made the save, which was frustrating.
Icings: The Coyotes iced the puck a lot. Unfortunately, the Wings didn’t make them pay for it.
Babcock: That was 400 wins for Babs, which is quite a milestone. Here’s hoping he’s got another few hundred left in him.
Next: The Wings get a rematch with Chicago tomorrow. They’re two points back of the Hawks and would take the lead with a win, if the Blues lose at home against Minnesota.