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Gustav Nyquist's shootout goal gives Detroit Red Wings a win over Arizona Coyotes

By Craig Morgan, The Sports Xchange
Gustav Nyquist (right) scored the format's lone goal and the Red Wings improved to 8-0 in the shootout with a 5-4 win over the Coyotes. File Photo by Mark Goldman/UPI
Gustav Nyquist (right) scored the format's lone goal and the Red Wings improved to 8-0 in the shootout with a 5-4 win over the Coyotes. File Photo by Mark Goldman/UPI | License Photo

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Detroit Red Wings and Arizona Coyotes owned the NHL's two best shootout records entering Thursday's game at Gila River Arena. Something had to give, and it was No. 2 giving way to No. 1.

Gustav Nyquist scored the format's lone goal and the Red Wings improved to 8-0 in the shootout with a 5-4 win over the Coyotes.

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Dylan Larkin, Tomas Tatar, Mike Green and Henrik Zetterberg scored in regulation for Detroit (27-31-11), which got 22 saves from Peter Mrazek to win for just the second time in its last eight games (2-5-1).

"We've got guys who can score in the shootout and our goalies have done a good job of stopping them," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. "These are not easy times but we've been blessed with real character. Our guys keep grinding."

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Radim Vrbata, Alex Goligoski, Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun scored for Arizona (26-35-9), which got 29 saves from Mike Smith but saw its three-game winning streak end and its shootout record fall to 6-2.

"I thought we were sloppy," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "We didn't play as well as we did the three or four games before this but it was an entertaining game."

Detroit scored on a first-period power play, with Coyotes defenseman Connor Murphy off for hooking. Andreas Athansiou took a wrist shot from the left circle that Smith stopped, but Riley Sheahan swept the rebound to Larkin before Smith could freeze it and Larkin lifted a high shot over Smith for a 1-0 lead at 8:11.

The Coyotes tied the game at 1:53 of the second period when Christian Dvorak collected a loose puck and slipped a pass to Vrbata all alone at the right circle. Vrbata beat Mrazek to the upper-left corner of the net for his team-leading 17th goal. Mrazek appeared to be off his angle toward the short side, giving Vrbata extra net.

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Arizona took a 2-1 lead at 3:56 of the period when defenseman Alex Goligoski's centering pass banked off Detroit defenseman Mike Green's skate and past Mrazek.

The Red Wings tied it 2-2 on a power play 49 seconds later, with Jordan Martinook in the box for slashing. Green's initial shot went wide, but Smith fell to his belly and could not recover for Tatar's shot from the left circle.

Green gave the Red Wings a 3-2 lead at 3:52 of the third period when he split defensemen Connor Murphy and Goligoski and slipped a backhand past Smith.

Crouse got that one back at 7:36 with a shorthanded goal of a 2-on-1 rush with Goligoski, who drew Green well to his side and slipped a pass to Crouse, who gave Arizona its seventh shorthand goal of the season.

Zetterberg beat goalie Mike Smith between the pads at 13:55 of the third period for his 324th career goal and a 4-3 lead, tying Norm Ullman for sixth place in Red Wings history. He has 16 points in his last 12 games.

"It was not my hardest shot in my career but it found a way to go in," Zetterberg said.

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Chychrun tied the game, 4-4, at 17:30 of the third period with a wrist shot through traffic that slipped between Mrazek's pads. Chychrun is second among rookie defensemen with seven goals.

"You score four goals in this league and you should win," Smith said. "They bailed me out and got a point but I was unable to win it in the shootout for them."

Detroit had the league's worst road power play entering the game, with eight goals in 98 opportunities, but the Wings went two for seven. The Wings had been in a 1-for-15 slump on the power play in seven overall previous March contests. It was only the second time since Nov. 29 that the Red Wings managed as many as two power play goals in a game.

NOTES:

-- Red Wings RW Mitch Callahan replaced Luke Glendening in the lineup.

-- Coyotes RW Teemu Pulkkinen was in the lineup, marking just his second game since the Coyotes acquired him on Feb. 26. He had been a healthy scratch the last six games. Pulkkinen replaced RW Anthony Duclair, who was a healthy scratch. Duclair has no goals and one point in six games since being recalled from Tucson of the AHL.

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-- Coyotes D Kevin Connauton (upper body) and C Alexander Burmistrov (concussion) missed their seventh and eighth straight games.

-- Coyotes C Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) is on injured reserve.

-- The Red Wings recalled D Brian Lashoff from Grand Rapids of the AHL on Thursday in case of emergency, and then sent him back to Grand Rapids later in the day.

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