Coyotes vs Red Wings NHL Spread/Handicapping
Desperate Coyotes Face Equally Desperate Wings in Crucial Clash
Two teams with absolutely zero room for error meet in the Motor City Monday night with their playoff lives on the line. Both the Phoenix Coyotes and the Detroit Red Wings are currently on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture looking in – losing is not an option.
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Phoenix Coyotes (19-17-3-5) at Detroit Red Wings (20-16-3-5)
When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, April 22, 2013
Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Broadcast: RDS, TSN, NBCSN, FS-D
Coyotes vs. Red Wings Betting Lines from Bovada
Phoenix Coyotes +1½ -250 +129 Ov 5 -116
Detroit Red Wings -1½ +210 -142 Un 5 +105
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For Detroit a 21 year streak of making the playoff is in jeopardy of coming to an end. For Phoenix, with the uncertainty of the state of the franchise, elimination from a playoff run could represent the last time the state of Arizona hosts an NHL game. This will be the third and final meeting between the teams this season. They split their first two games – the Wings won 3-2 in Phoenix on March 25, while the Coyotes won 4-2 at home on April 4.
The Phoenix Coyotes are certainly in tough heading into Detroit. They beat Chicago Saturday to keep their hopes alive but on the heels of a 0-2-1 stretch, their job has become much more difficult as the days wear on. To make matters worse, the Coyotes have lost five straight meetings between the teams in Detroit including two in the 2011 playoffs.
Now for some good news – Phoenix is 2-0-2 in their last four road games and Mike Smith who returned from a two game absence last time out vows to play in every game down the stretch. Smith is Phoenix’s difference maker and is 3-1-1 with a sparkling 1.36 GAA and .956 save % age in his last five starts. He is going to have to be huge down the stretch for the Coyotes to have any sort of chance at the postseason.
Offensively the Coyotes continue to be middle-of-the-pack averaging 2.50 goals per game Radim Vrbata has goals in two straight games for the second time this season but the rest of his supporting cast is in the midst of a slump. Mikkel Boedker is pointless in three games, David Moss is pointless in four games and Shane Doan hasn’t recorded a point in his last six games – ouch! However Martin Hanzal has eight goals and an assist in his last eight regular-season games against the Red Wings. [ad-4437448]
The Detroit Red Wings sure haven’t done themselves any favors lately – they are 1-2-3 in their last six and 3-5-3 since March 27 including a 4-2 loss in Phoenix. They are jus 1-3-2 in their last six on home ice where they have been dominant the past few years. No folks – this is not your daddy’s Detroit Red Wings!
Goal scoring has been a major issue as of late – an average of 1.73 goals per game in their last 11 games has certainly contributed to the fact that they are playing for their lives this late in the season. Johan Franzen has three goals in his past four games and eight points in nine games to lead the way for Detroit – he is about the only Wing that can be considered Hot offensively. Pavel Datsyuk has just one goal in his last nine regular-season games and has two goals in his last 11 games overall.
Jimmy Howard will likely get the call between the pipes for Detroit Monday. He is 0-1-1 in his last two games with a respectable 1.94 GAA and not-so-flattering .871 save % age. Like the rest of the team, he hasn’t been at his best down the stretch.
Betting Prediction
A few trends to consider:
• Under is 12-3-1 in PHO last 16 Mon. games.
• PHO are 3-10 in their last 13 road games.
• Under is 6-2-1 in DET last 9 home games.
• Under is 14-5-4 in DET last 23 vs. Pacific.
• DET are 349-157-16 in their last 522 home games.
• PHO are 14-38-6 in the last 58 meetings.
The Detroit Red Wings are fairly used to pressure-filled games but that pressure usually doesn’t come until playoff time. Regular season must-wins are totally foreign to this team. They definitely deserved a better fate in Vancouver Saturday – they totally outworked the Canucks for the full 65 minutes. Saturday’s game was a sign – and so are their recent home struggles. 2013 wasn’t meant to be for Detroit. I like the underdog to snap their five game skid in Detroit Monday – the Wings can’t score and the air of invincibility simply isn’t there.
Pick: Phoenix Coyotes +129
