NHL Betting – Detroit Looks to Eliminate Phoenix at Home
The Detroit Red Wings are hitting their stride and finally looking like serious Stanley Cup contenders. The Wings have put themselves in a position to end their first round series on Sunday in front of a Joe Louis Arena crowd that will accept nothing less than a win.
Phoenix Coyotes @ Detroit Red Wings
2:00 PM ET, Sunday, April 25, 2010
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
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- The Detroit Red Wings ranked 13 on offense, and averaged 2.8 goals per game. The Red Wings are 19.4% on the power play and had 64 power play goals.
- The Phoenix Coyotes ranked 25 on offense, and averaged 2.6 goals per game. The Coyotes are 14.3% on the power play and had 48 power play goals.
- The Red Wings averaged 2.9 goals per game at home, and gave up 2.3 goals against on defense.
- The Coyotes averaged 2.2 goals per game on the road, and gave up 2.4 goals against on defense.
The Phoenix Coyotes are in a position that they have not been in all season – they have their backs against the wall. Now they have to go into Detroit with the hopes of extending their first round series, an unenviable task for any team! The Coyotes have had a Cinderella season but it appears as if the clock has struck midnight.
The Coyotes scored their first power play goal of the series on Friday night but it was not nearly enough to defeat a Red Wings team that is looking better with every game in the series. Phoenix has now scored just one goal in their last two games and the offense seems to be slumping at the wrong time. Captain Shane Doan figures to sit out again on Sunday and with the absence of Wojtek Wolski on the score sheet in the last two games, the prospect of a win in Detroit appear grim.
Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov must be applauded for his amazing season and his terrific playoff run. But without offensive support, his solid play keeps resulting in ticks in the loss column. It does not matter how well he plays, if the boys in front of him are struggling, the team will continue to flounder.
The Detroit Red Wings have been riding their experience up front and their inexperience in goal to a 3-2 series lead. The Wings have put together the first two game winning streak in the series and will be looking to extend that streak to three on Sunday afternoon.
Henrik Zetterberg has appeared unstoppable so far in the first round of the playoffs. When he is neutralized (like he was in Game 5), the Wings have the luxury of other top tier players to pick up the slack. In Game 5 it was Pavel Datsuyk and Thomas Holmstrom who each recorded a goal and an assist to pace Detroit offensively. It is a “pick your poison” scenario for the Coyotes and unfortunately for Phoenix, each poison that they pick appears to be lethal.
Questions arose after Game 3 of the series of whether or not goaltender Jimmy Howard would be able to carry the Wings to the promise land. All questions have been answered by Howard’s 0.5 goals against average in his last two games. He has stopped 59 of the 60 shots that he has faced in the two games and has emerged as an unquestioned playoff performer.
The Phoenix Coyotes kept Game 5 close and played pretty well but the Wings are the cream that has risen to the top. Give the Coyotes full credit for their heart but heart does not trump talent. The series ends Sunday unfortunately!
Pick: Detroit Red Wings -230
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