Detroit Red Wings v Phoenix Coyotes Live

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Even though the Red Wings were not nearly as dominant in 2009-10 as most experts around the league anticipated, the franchise from Michigan managed to get their act together and clinched a playoff berth down the stretch. Thus, Henrik Zetterberg and the Detroit Red Wings will try to take the lead in the Western Conference Quarterfinals when they face the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday at 3 a.m. GMT.

Unlike the Wings, the Coyotes played surprisingly well in this year’s NHL campaign despite sub par performances in recent years and extensive talks about a possible relocation of the bankrupt franchise. Yet, Phoenix finished the regular season fourth in the Western Conference, posting an excellent 50-25-7 record. Four games into the Western Conference Quarterfinals, the franchise from Arizona has the opportunity to take the lead in front of their home crowd on Saturday night.

In contrast, Detroit is under considerable pressure to make some noise in the playoffs after a rather unsatisfying regular season. That said, the veteran squad around Pavel Datsyuk is certainly capable of playing on a high level, yet they failed to do so consistently thus far. Albeit the Wings’ performance at the defensive end of the ice is still decent, they were not able to shut down opponents as they used to in their runs to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008 and 2009. Therefore, the audience can expect a fairly even game between two of the better teams in the league when the Coyotes host the Red Wings on Saturday night.

You can watch all games of the Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.

Posted: 10th October 2009

Even though there have been heated debates about the future of the bankrupt franchise from Arizona, it did not seem to have any measurable effect on the performance of the Phoenix Coyotes so far. With five wins in seven games, the Coyotes got off to a great start and are confidently looking forward to their home game versus the Detroit Red Wings on Friday at 2 a.m. GMT.

In contrast, the Wings did not play up to their potential in the first three weeks of action in this year’s NHL campaign. More specifically, the veteran team around Nicklas Lidstrom posted a mediocre 3-3-1 record to start the season and experienced unusual problems at the defensive end of the ice. In fact, Chris Osgood and company allowed 3.6 goals per contest and did not look like the team that made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last year.

Unlike Detroit, the Coyotes fed off the excellent play of their defensive lines as they managed to hold their opponents to just 1.4 goals per game. Although Phoenix’s offensive production has not been particularly exciting, there is very little not to like about the way Dave Tippett’s squad has played. Offensively, Shane Doan turned out to be the most consistent contributor with 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points in seven games. While the Red Wings would be everyone’s favorite under normal circumstances, Phoenix could very well be able to give the Wings a run for their money on Friday night. That said, it is not beyond the realms of reality that Detroit will finally get their act together to clinch an important road win in Arizona.

You can watch all games of the Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.