The Phoenix Coyotes (5-2-0) host the Detroit Red Wings (3-3-1) at Jobing.com Arena Wednesday in the first of four meetings between the teams this season.
The Coyotes are coming off a 4-1 home win over Boston on Saturday. Ilya Bryzgalov was named last week’s First Star by the NHL.
▪ The Coyotes enter Wednesday’s game with a 5-2-0 record and are off to their best start through seven games since the 2000-01 campaign when they began the year with a 6-1-0 record. Wednesday, the Coyotes will look to win for the sixth time in the first eight games of a season for just the third time in franchise history (2000-01 and 1982-83; started both seasons 6-1-1).
▪ Phoenix’s 5-2-0 record on the season has come against quality opponents. Entering play on Wednesday, the combined record of the Coyotes’ first seven opponents was 33-18-3. Buffalo and Columbus, the only two teams to defeat the Coyotes thus far, have a combined record of 9-3-1. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins are off to an NHL-best 8-1-0 start, and their only loss was a 3-0 defeat by the Coyotes.
▪ Wednesday night’s game is Detroit’s first appearance in Phoenix since Jan. 20 of last season, when the Coyotes handed the Red Wings a 6-3 defeat in the final game before the All-Star break.