DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings are playing inspired hockey after a sluggish start to the season.
Defenseman Mike Green had a goal and two assists and the Red Wings extended their winning streak to four games with a 6-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night.
Detroit has won seven of its last eight to get back to .500 (8-8-2) after a 1-7-2 start.
A big part of the turnaround has been getting Green back. He missed the first nine games of the season recovering from a virus that attacked his liver. The Red Wings are 7-2 in the nine games since his return.
"He's a huge impact offensively and defensively, he skates so well runs the power play so well," said rookie defenseman Dennis Cholowski, Green's partner, who scored a goal Tuesday.
Andreas Athanasiou added a goal and an assist for the third straight game, and Anthony Mantha, Michael Rasmussen and Luke Glendening also scored. Jimmy Howard made 24 saves. The six goals are a season best for the Red Wings.
"I thought that early on we did a lot of good things and it kind of got away from us a little bit," Green said. "But sometimes when you get the bounces they just go in. That was the case tonight, so we'll take it."
Lawson Crouse scored for Arizona. Darcy Kuemper stopped 12 shots and rookie Hunter Miska made eight saves in his NHL debut.
"Just a half -second slow, everywhere," Arizona coach Rick Tocchet said. "Detroit was fast."
Detroit charged to a 3-0 lead in the first period.
Mantha opened the scoring with 9:47 left in the opening period. It was Mantha's sixth goal and third in two games.
Cholowski made it 2-0 2:11 later. Arizona challenged that Kuemper was interfered with by the Red Wings Justin Abdelkader at the edge of the crease, but the goal was upheld. It was Cholowski's third goal.
Rasmussen made it 3-0 with a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 2:38 remaining in the first. It was Rasmussen's third goal.
Glendening made it 4-0 with 8:28 left in the second period on a breakaway. It was Glendening's second goal.
Arizona had an apparent goal 1:38 into the second period by Christian Fischer reversed. Detroit challenged that the play was offside going into the Red Wings zone, and replays showed that it was.
Athanasiou scored on a breakaway 1:44 into the third period. It was Athanasiou's seventh goal.
That goal also sent Kuemper to the bench in favor of Miska.
Green got his first goal of the season 7:10 into the third.
Crouse spoiled Howard's shutout bid with 8:39 left.
NOTES: Arizona D Jakob Chychrun made his season debut. He had not played since having knee surgery after being injuring against the Calgary Flames on April 3. The Coyotes also announced that they signed Chychrun to a six-year contract extension worth $4.6 million annually, beginning next season. ... Detroit was without D Jonathan Ericsson (lower body), F Thomas Vanek (lower body) and C Jacob de la Rose (upper body). ... It was the Red Wings annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night to help support cancer awareness.
UP NEXT:
Arizona: Hosts Nashville on Thursday.
Detroit: Visits Ottawa on Thursday.
