Coyotes beat Red Wings 3-1 to end losing streak

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Phoenix Coyotes needed a boost after an exhausting first half of the season.

Beating San Jose was a big step. Following that with a win over Detroit, another nemesis, could send them into a sprint toward the playoffs again.

Mike Smith stopped 30 shots, Martin Hanzal scored twice and the Coyotes ended a seven-game losing streak to the Red Wings with a 3-1 victory Monday night.

"They're two good teams in the upper echelon of the conference and when you're taking points away from them, you're getting points that other teams aren't going to get," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "You look at those as very valuable points."

After an up-and-down first half of the season, Phoenix opened the second half with a loss to Anaheim, thanks in part to shaky goaltending by Smith.

Needing to make up ground fast, the Coyotes regrouped to beat the Pacific Division-leading Sharks 5-3. They backed it up with a solid performance against Detroit, getting a short-handed goal from Boyd Gordon in the first period and one on a power play by Hanzal in the second.

Detroit pulled within one on Johan Franzen's 20th goal late in the second period and picked up the pressure in the third, creating numerous scoring opportunities. Smith didn't let the Red Wings in, stopping 11 shots in the period, and Hanzal closed it out by scoring his eighth of the season into an empty net in the closing seconds.

The Coyotes needed a second-half surge to get into the playoffs last season and beating two of the Western Conference's best teams could get them jump-started this season.

"We've been playing against some good hockey teams and getting some points," Gordon said. "At this time of year, you've got to play with desperation to get the two points every night."

The Red Wings, as usual, played with plenty of desperation, particularly in a furious third period. They just couldn't find a way to convert, stymied by Smith and just missing the posts on numerous occasions.

The good news for the Red Wings is that after a five-game road trip, the next six are at home, where Detroit has won 17 straight.

"I think we started a little slow," said Detroit goalie Joey MacDonald, who stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced in his first start of the season. "It's been a long road trip for the guys and I think as the game went on, we got our wheels underneath us."