The Detroit Red Wings downed the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 on Monday night but lost yet another key player to injury as defenseman Jonathan Ericsson left the game early.
Ericsson injured his knee in a collision with Phoenix's Shane Doan late in the first period. The Coyotes scored their first goal of the game while Ericsson was down on the ice.
With Darren Helm already out, Ericsson became the eighth Red Wing missing from the Detroit lineup as the game continued.
Helm's replacement, Kris Newbury, scored the game's opening goal just 5:25 into the game. Newbury banged the puck past Phoenix netminder Ilya Bryzgalov off a centering feed.
Patrick Eaves added a shorthanded goal with 9:23 left in the period, snapping a shot from the left faceoff circle past Bryzgalov on a rush.
The Coyotes pulled pulled back to within a goal with 4:52 left in the first. After Ericsson fell to the ice from the hit by Doan, the Red Wings could not regain control of the puck in their own end of the ice, ending with Taylor Pyatt putting it past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard on the open side of the net.
Derek Meech restored the two-goal lead for Detroit at 2:05 of the second, firing a shot from just inside the blue line that seemed to fool Bryzgalov, slipping through his glove.
Radim Verbata put the Coyotes back within a goal with 37 seconds remaining in the second period but the Wings held on through a scoreless third to preserve the lead and get the win.
Howard finished the night with 30 saves on 32 Phoenix shots. Bryzgalov stopped 29 of 32 Detroit chances.
Neither team scored a power play goal. The Red Wings had four tries with the extra attacker while the Coyotes had three.
Notes: Ericsson will be reevaluated on Tuesday. In addition to him, the Red Wings are missing Andreas Lilja, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula, Jason Williams, Niklas Kronwall, Dan Cleary and Darren Helm.
Ha! Newbury on his second shift. Fantastic.
I did not catch his goal sadly, but props to Newbury 
That's a way to make an impression.
Eaves with a shorty. Nice, nice shot.
And Eaves scores. I like the outcome so far!
I wonder why the god of injuries loves the Wings so much.
So Ericsson's hurt and Phoenix scores all on the same play. f*ck this season.
As was mentioned at A2Y... Aaron Ward?
As was mentioned at A2Y... Aaron Ward?
Yeah but Lebda is terrifying and if he's better (even if not by much!
I say there's a spark of hope. Haha.
As was mentioned at A2Y... Aaron Ward?
Yeah but Lebda is terrifying and if he's better (even if not by much!
I forget that you're too young to remember Aaron Ward as a Wing.
I forget that you're too young to remember Aaron Ward as a Wing.
True, but look at Bertuzzi's amazing comeback!
sh*t, as long as we're talking comebacks, lets get Murphy in gear and on the ice.
Ericsson's out for the game (and I'm guessing a bit longer).
Meech thinks he's gonna replace Big E. I'm okay with that for now.
Now that was crazy.
Hardly fair, Eaves beats Bryzgalov twice on the same play and no goal to show for it.
I think someone used a defibrillator on the Wings when I wasn't looking! Or anyone else, for that matter
Ugh, and then Phoenix gets back in it.
Anyone remember, has Detroit's opposition suffered an injury against the Red Wings at all this season? I don't count Luongo, the Canucks said his injury came in the game before Detroit.
Thought Bert had one there. Wow.
Anyone remember, has Detroit's opposition suffered an injury against the Red Wings at all this season? I don't count Luongo, the Canucks said his injury came in the game before Detroit.
Bill reminds me that Tootoo broke his foot on Saturday.
Anyone remember, has Detroit's opposition suffered an injury against the Red Wings at all this season? I don't count Luongo, the Canucks said his injury came in the game before Detroit.
Bill reminds me that Tootoo broke his foot on Saturday.
That hardly seems fair to make up for all of the Wings injuries.
That note about Boyer having jerseys for every player is also why Justin Abdelkaer has #8 and Brad Stuart has #23. Those numbers were vacated by players moved out of the Detroit organization earlier in the season.
And they hold on to win. I'm not breathing a sigh of relief thanks to the Ericsson injury but a win is a win.
Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports that Jonathan Ericsson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a deep bone bruise.
The Red Wings have called up Doug Janik from the Grand Rapids Griffins to fill in for Ericsson.
I thought Janik looked pretty solid in his last appearance...nothing flashy, but dependable and responsible....I'd like to see Kindl again, too. He had the misfortune to play in one of the Wings' less energetic efforts.
Jonathan Ericsson
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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