RECAP: Red Wings shut out in Arizona, 4-0

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Detroit Red Wings were blanked by the Arizona Coyotes, 4-0, at Mullett Arena on Friday night.

Goalie Alex Lyon made 20 saves for Detroit (33-24-6; 72 points), which lost its fourth straight game. Arizona (26-33-5; 57 points) got a strong start in net from goaltender Connor Ingram, who stopped all 28 shots he faced for his sixth shutout of the season, which is tied for most in the NHL.

“It’s very disappointing,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said. “I thought the guys were ready. It felt like a home game in warm-ups. Just an inability to compete early on, the lost battles. Much better in the second (period). If we could have started our game like we did the second, it could have been a much different outcome.”

After Jack McBain’s game-opening goal just 2:35 into the first period, Detroit found itself in an early 2-0 hole to Arizona just 5:30 later when Alex Kerfoot deflected Juuso Valimaki’s shot from the point into the back of the net.

The Coyotes played a tribute video for Christian Fischer, who spent his first seven NHL seasons (2016-13) in Arizona, during the first period.

Lighting the lamp one more time before the first intermission, the Coyotes made it 3-0 at 17:04 of the opening frame on a power play goal from Logan Cooley. He one-timed a shot from the right face-off circle off Matias Maccelli’s pass from the opposite circle.

“I think just the first 10 minutes we weren’t playing on our toes,” Andrew Copp said. “They get a couple early, and it’s tough to fight back in this league down 3-0. That’s kind of the difference in the game.”

Nick Bjugstad extended Arizona’s lead and ultimately capped the scoring at 8:16 of the second period, sending Nick Schmaltz’s pass from below the goal line past Lyon’s blocker for the 4-0 final.

“I think that fourth (goal) was a little bit of a back-breaker,” Copp said. “Especially because we felt like we were getting some momentum.”

Lalonde said postgame the Red Wings were going to recall Jonatan Berggren from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins ahead of Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, a roster move the second-year NHL head coach hopes can provide a spark.

“I think it comes back to some effort and detail,” Lalonde said. “Obviously, we haven’t handled Dylan (Larkin) being out well this year. But I think as a group, everyone needs to do a little bit more.”

NEXT UP: Detroit will wrap up its back-to-back road set on Saturday night, squaring off against the defending Stanley Cup-champion Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

QUOTABLE

Lalonde on the impact of Larkin’s absence

“The centers look completely different. That’s, all of a sudden, a much different looking center group. Joe’s in the top six. We don’t actually have four centers, but again, it doesn’t matter. It comes down to battles and pucks won. We just didn’t do that in the first (period).”

Copp on Detroit's current skid

“I don’t think there’s any shame in losing to Florida or Colorado. But I think, especially the way we played in Colorado, we’re trying to right the ship here, play with a certain edge, a certain tenacity. We didn’t do that off the hop tonight. It got better as the game went along, but didn’t really give them much.”

Walman on overcoming frustration and adversity at this point of the season

“We got to get back to it. We’re in a little rut right now, but good teams find a way out of this stuff and every team kind of goes through it. But this is the crunch time right now. We got to find our way out real quick.”