NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

An explosion of goals from the Red Wings. And at the end of the 2nd period, it is 4-1 Red Wings. I hate to say it, 'Yotes fans, but it's looking like Detroit vs San Jose in the next round....

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

Phoenix scores DIRECTLY off of the faceoff! Fiddler simply slaps the puck forward as the puck is dropping for the faceoff and it zooms over Howard for the first Coyotes goal. Will this shift the momentum towards the Desert Dogs? 2-1 Red Wings, 11mins left in the 2nd.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

The Red Wings have seized complete control of the game both offensively and defensively. The Coyotes, on an offensive faceoff, take a hard shot from the point. Wings goalie Jimmy Howard makes a huge blocker save to keep the score at 2-0.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

1 minute after the goal. The Coyotes get a powerplay of their own on a Zetterberg tripping penalty. The Coyotes give up a shorthanded breakaway, forcing a Coyotes defenseman to take a penalty to stop the break. The teams are 4-on-4, with 16minutes left to go, but Datsyuk on a fast-break scores a goal for the Red Wings. 2-0 Wings with 15minutes left in the 2nd.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

The Wings get an early 2nd period powerplay and they score 10 seconds into the PP. It's 1-0 Red Wings 18mins left in the 2nd period in Game 7.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

The Red Wings amass 4 shots on their first powerplay. Tomas Holmstrom rings one off the goalpost and a scrum ensued. Coyotes successfully kill their first penalty. 8mins left in the 1st period, still 0-0.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

The red wings with the first powerplay of the game at 12:55 left in the 1st period.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

The pace of the game so far has been furious. The goaltenders on both sides have had to make some good saves to keep the game at 0-0. 14mins still left to go in the first period.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

Shane Doan will NOT play tonight. At with less than two minute gone in the first, Holmstrom of the Red Wings is throwing his body around. He already has a few big hits on the Coyotes defensive players.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

Word is that Coyotes star forward Shane Doan may not be available with an "upper body injury." It is worth noting that in the playoffs, NHL teams generally do not disclose any specifics on player injuries so that opposing teams do not target them when the players return to the lineup.

In this case, Doan was knocked out of Game 3 last week with what appears to be a shoulder injury. He was slated to return to the lineup tonight, but his status may still be uncertain. We'll see whether he plays tonight when the game gets going.

NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes Game7 Live Blog

Welcome everybody,

JR Cho will be blogging live tonight on the NHL Western Conference Semifinal Game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Phoenix Coyotes. Tonight is the decisive Game 7 taking place in Jobbing.com Arena in Phoenix, AZ.

It is slated for a 9pm start. Should be an exciting one at hand folks. Stick around for frequent updates.