Wings bang and crash

DETROIT -- It's becoming apparent that this series has become mostly about the Detroit Red Wings.

Heading into Game 5 in Phoenix Friday, the Wings have been the biggest variable in each of the games with the Western Conference quarter-final series squared at 2-2.

"If we didn't know it before the series, we know it now," Detroit defenceman Brad Stuart said of the Coyotes' consistency.

"They are going to work hard and have good structure and we have to do the same. I think we realize that it's not going to be easy, but I guess we had to experience it and come to the realization it's not going to be an easy series by any means.

"We're going to have to get even better, especially going into their building."

It's a realization that all the Wings seemed to come to in Detroit's 3-0 win in Game 4.

Detroit turned in its most complete effort of the series.

More specifically, they dominated the Coyotes on special teams and played their most physical contest of the four with Phoenix.

Detroit went one-of-three on the power play and now have at least one power-play goal in each game of the series. The Wings are converting at a 29.4 per cent rate with the extra skater.

The Wings killed off all six Phoenix power plays and the Coyotes haven't scored on their last 14 power-play attempts after scoring on their first three opportunities of the series.

"I thought a lot of our opportunities were from the outside," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "We have to do a better job finding lanes. Part of that is what their PK is doing."

What should be more concerning for the Coyotes is Detroit has become the more physical team.

The Wings outhit the Coyotes 43-27 Tuesday and since being manhandled by Phoenix in Game 1, Detroit has won the physical war 119-89.

"The series has been physical all the way," said Tippett, who has seen his club hurt by the loss of their most physical player (Shane Doan) early in the second period of Game 3 with a suspected shoulder injury.

"The were a very determined club without a doubt. A lot of our turnovers, some of them they had a hand in it."

Patrick Eaves led the Wings with six hits Tuesday, but Detroit had eight players with three or more hits.

Take out Phoenix's 43 hits in the opening contest and the physical nature of Detroit's play is even more stark as the Wings have delivered 99 hits to 46.

"You need players to step up and get checks at the right moments," Detroit captain Nick Lidstrom said. "They can change games and I thought we had some big ones (Tuesday)."

The Wings were also selective in concentrating many of their biggest jolts on the Coyotes' defenceman.

Ed Jovanovski, who has given as good as he's gotten in the series, was hammered by Patrick Eaves, Darren Helm flattened Michalek Zbynek and Johan Franzen was in a particularly foul mood judging by his heavy hit on Sami Lepisto.

"We felt we had to do a good job on their D," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Their D, they skate real well, they got a puck-moving D.

"They've been hard to get to but I thought our guys got to some of them. We got to continue to do that."

The Wings were able to make the Coyotes' defence turn and chase the puck by making much better use of the chip-and-chase game. It allowed Detroit's forwards to generate more speed through the neutral zone.

"They want to have four guys back in neutral zone," Stuart said. "If we want to keep throwing pucks in the middle, that plays into their hands. We have to take what they give us."

-- Canwest News Service

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 22, 2010 C1