Red Wings at Coyotes
The Detroit Red Wings look to maintain their mastery of the Phoenix Coyotes when the Western Conference foes meet at Jobing.com Arena on Thursday. Detroit posted a 3-2 triumph in the desert on March 25 to secure its eighth win in nine outings versus the Coyotes. The Red Wings, who are clinging to seventh place in the West, answered a lopsided 7-1 loss to Original Six-rival Chicago on Sunday with a 3-2 victory over Colorado the following night.
Phoenix has rebounded nicely since the setback, posting a 2-0-2 mark to pull within three points of eighth-place Edmonton. Defenseman Keith Yandle scored twice and Kyle Chipchura notched a pair of assists in a 3-1 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday. Jason LaBarbera made 39 saves in the win but is just 1-4-2 llifetime against Detroit.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN (Detroit), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (18-13-5): Detroit was merely a spectator at the NHL trade deadline. "There were a couple of players we had interest in," general manager Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press. "Didn't get it done. We made offers. At the end of the day, maybe somebody likes somebody else's players better." By all accounts, most people like Pavel Datsyuk. The Russian, who collected a goal and an assist against the Coyotes last week, has 57 points in 39 career games versus the franchise.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (15-15-6): Phoenix was quite active during the trade deadline on Wednesday. Veteran Steve Sullivan was sent to New Jersey for a seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft and the pesky Raffi Torres was shipped to Pacific Division-rival San Jose for a third-round pick in 2013. Matthew Lombardi was dealt to Anaheim for fellow forward Brandon McMillan, who will head to Portland of the American Hockey League.
OVERTIME
1. Detroit G Jimmy Howard owns a 7-0-2 mark with a 2.23 goals-against average versus Phoenix.
2. Coyotes LW Rob Klinkhammer began his five-game point streak by scoring against the Red Wings.
3. Detroit signed G Jared Coreau to a three-year entry-level contract on Wednesday. The 21-year-old became the second collegiate player to sign with the Red Wings, joining Western Michigan D Danny Dekeyser.