DETROIT -- The Phoenix Coyotes lost Shane Doan -- their captain, physical catalyst and one of their best players -- two minutes into the second period Sunday. And the Detroit Red Wings acted as if they were stripped of a key component.

The Coyotes responded with a spirited effort. The mistake-prone Red Wings faded.

Phoenix outworked and outskated Detroit for a good portion of the final two periods and earned a 4-2 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinal playoff series at Joe Louis Arena.

The Coyotes lead the best-of-7 series 2-1, putting the Red Wings in a desperate situation for Tuesday's Game 4 in Detroit.

"They were a better team for longer. The neutral zone was an obstacle for us after the first period,'' Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "When you turn over pucks, you look like you have no energy. You're chasing and you're on the ice too long. They were quicker. We didn't skate and we didn't execute.''

A strong first period by Detroit ended 1-1. But when Doan charged the net, stumbled over goaltender Jimmy Howard, smashed his right shoulder into the boards and left the game, the momentum oddly shifted in Phoenix's favor.

COYOTES 4, RED WINGS 2 Key play: Radim Vrbata streaked down the left wing and fired a shot that beat Jimmy Howard on the short side at 11:38 of the third period, giving Phoenix a 4-2 lead and sapping the momentum Detroit had gained after Johan Franzen scored 1:39 earlier.



Hero: Vrbata started the breakout that led to Petr Prucha’s goal at 8:16 of the third period and then pretty much sealed the win with his goal minutes later.



Goat: It was a rare bad night for Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who finished with no points and a minus-3 rating.



Analysis: The Coyotes showed tremendous resolve after losing captain Shane Doan to injury two minutes into the third period. They showed they wanted it more. They skated better, worked harder in the offensive zone and forced turnovers in the neutral zone with their solid structure. The Red Wings better show more determination on Tuesday, because if they lose, it’s hard to imagine they can win three games in a row against this team, especially with two of them in Phoenix.

"They just got better'' Babcock said. "With no (Vernon) Fiddler (out with an injury) and no Doan, they had the puck more than we did.''

Said Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom: "It didn't seem to slow them down at all. They just kept going and playing. They played real good structure.''

Phoenix spent a good portion of the second period cycling and grinding the puck in the Detroit zone. It paid off when Wojtek Wolski backhanded the rebound of a shot by Matthew Lombardi into the net with 31.7 seconds remaining.

The Coyotes capitalized on a turnover and the Red Wings were caught with their fourth line on the ice against Phoenix's No. 1 line.

"(Niklas Kronwall) was going to (Patrick) Eaves down low and I kind of got in the way,'' Detroit's Justin Abdelkader said. "It hit my skate, bounced back and they came in on the rush, and the puck bounced out to Wolski.''

Phoenix carried the momentum into the third period. Petr Prucha made it 3-1 at 8:16, working a give-and-go with Radim Vrbata as Lidstrom and defense partner Brian Rafalski got crossed up.

"It was two-on-two initially and Rafi and I kind of read it the wrong way and the guy slid behind Rafi and I wasn't quick enough to get there and help out,'' Lidstrom said.

Johan Franzen, switched late to the line with Henrik Zetterberg and Todd Bertuzzi, responded with his first goal of the series at 9:59, firing a sharp-angle shot just inside the goal post over goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's shoulder.

The momentum fizzled fast, however, as Vrbata beat Howard on the short side with a shot from the left wing at 11:38 to make it 4-2.

"He put it over my pad just outside my blocker,'' Howard said. "I thought I was in the shooting lane all the way and I just kind of reached for it. In that situation, that's a goal that can't go in.''

Said Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski: "They got all the momentum. The fans are really into it and then, boom! We took the wind right out of their sails by Radim getting a huge goal.''

In their two losses, the Red Wings started strong, only to fade the second half of the game.

"In the second period we spent a lot of time in our own zone, couldn't get our legs going,'' Lidstrom said. "I thought they got the puck in deep, they were skating the puck. When we got it we didn't come out with speed and got stuck in the neutral zone, so we ended up with a lot of turnovers.''

The Red Wings skated much better in the first period, after the Coyotes scored the fastest playoff goal in franchise history 29 seconds into the game when Sami Lepisto fired in a shot from the slot during a scramble.

Valtteri Filppula answered on the power play at 14:42 with his third goal of the series. After taking a drop pass from Brad Stuart, Filppula fired a shot that hit the goal post and dribbled just over the line.

Detroit, however, wasn't as hard on Phoenix's defense or Bryzgalov as it wanted to be.

"We were a little bit all over the ice,'' Bertuzzi said. "We got to hold our lanes, give our D outlets so we can have puck possession, middle drive, opportunities going to the net.''

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett provided no update on Doan, saying doctors will look at him Monday.

Without Doan, Phoenix must match this effort going forward.

"We were better because we protected the puck more, which gives you an opportunity to attack,'' Tippett said. "When you turn it over, you're chasing.''