National Hockey League
Detroit 5, Arizona 1
When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, December 3, 2015
Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Referees: Dan O'Halloran, Garrett Rank
Linesmen: Ryan Galloway, Jonny Murray
Attendance: 20027

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings made sure there would be no blown leads this time.

Center Darren Helm had a goal and an assist in Detroit's 5-1 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings surrendered third period leads in their previous five games and six of their previous eight.

"I thought we did a good job overall of continuing to press. I didn't like our last 10 minutes of the second period," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. "I thought we let it get away from us a little bit, got a little bit goofy but I thought we came back in the third and played real well. We had lots of chances. "

Left winger Justin Abdelkader, defenseman Niklas Kronwall, right winger Gustav Nyquist and defenseman Dan DeKeyser also scored for Detroit, which has points in its past nine games (6-0-3).

Center Pavel Datsyuk had two assists and goaltender Jimmy Howard made 26 saves.

"I thought we did a lot of good things. We had a lot of energy, we were playing the right way. We just kept coming," said Kronwall, who played his 700th game Thursday. "Let's be honest, we had some puck luck at the same time. We got some timely goals, some bounces and more bounces than we've had all season long probably but we'll take it."

Left winger Jordan Martinook scored for Arizona. Goalie Mike Smith stopped 13 of 16 shots before being replaced by backup Anders Lindback to start the second period. Lindback made 26 saves.

"We were playing well, in the first five minutes and then we got called for that penalty (Martin Hanzal for boarding 6:19 into the first period) and they took off from there, " Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said.

Helm scored 4:28 into the third period for his first goal of the season.

Detroit led 3-0 after the first period.

Abdelkader gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead with 7:30 left in the first period. Below the bottom of the left circle and with his back to the net, Abdelkader picked up a loose puck and backhanded it past Smith. It was Abdelkader's eighth goal and third in two games.

The Red Wings made it 3-0 within 18 seconds in the final minute of the first period.

Kronwall made it 2-0 with 42 seconds left in the first period when he scored from the slot after a give and go with left winger Tomas Tatar. It was Kronwall's second goal.

Nyquist then got his ninth goal when his shot from center ice bounced pass Smith with 24 seconds remaining in the first period.

Martinook made it 3-1 with a goal 5:52 into the second period. He put in a shot from the left circle for his third goal.

DeKeyser restored the Red Wings three-goal lead 1:26 later on a one-time slap shot from the right point. It was his second goal.

"We got the 3-1 goal and we felt like we were back in it but then they got it right back. A tough night," Arizona defenseman Klas Dahlbeck said.

The Red Wings played most of the game with 10 forwards after left winger Drew Miller and right winger Teemu Pulkkinen left the game in the first period and did not return. Pulkkinen was the victim of Hanzal's boarding penalty that Tippett referred to. Miller was woozy and had to be helped off the ice after Dahlbeck's shoulder hit Smith in the head on a check later in the period.

"We're still evaluating both but they both look like they'll be out for a while," Blashill said.

An apparent goal by Arizona defenseman Klas Dahlbeck 1:22 into the game was overturned when Blashill challenged that the Coyotes defenseman Connor Murphy was offside as left winger Mikkel Boedker carried the puck into the Detroit zone six seconds before the goal and won the challenge.

NOTE: Arizona RW Steve Downie returned after missing 10 games with an upper-body injury. ... Detroit had points in its previous eight games (5-0-3). ... The Coyotes were without captain and RW Shane Doan (lower body injury) and C Joe Vitale (fractured orbital bone). Arizona coach Dave Tippett said Doan could return Friday when the Coyotes play the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo. ... The Red Wings were missing RW Johan Franzen (concussion) and D Kyle Quincey (ankle). ... Arizona's healthy scratches were LW Craig Cunningham and LW John Scott. ... Detroit's healthy scratches were C Joakim Andersson, RW Tomas Jurco and D Jakub Kindl.
Top Game Performances
 
Arizona   Detroit
Jordan Martinook 1 Points Darren Helm 2
Jordan Martinook 1 Goals Darren Helm 1
Steve Downie 1 Assists Pavel Datsyuk 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Anders Lindback .929 Save Percentage Jimmy Howard .963
Anders Lindback 26 Saves Jimmy Howard 26
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Arizona 27 1 0-1 4-4 13 25
Detroit 44 5 0-4 1-1 7 34
Upcoming Games
  • Detroit will play their next game at home against Nashville. The Red Wings have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .583 after a loss.
  • Arizona will play their next game on the road against Buffalo. The Coyotes have a W/L % of .538 after a win and .500 after a loss.