GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Detroit Red Wings labored to get through the first round of the playoffs last year.

This season, they did it as quickly as possible, without their leading point producer and, for a large chunk of the series, their top goal-scorer.

Danny Cleary banked in a shot from a sharp angle to snap a tie with 6:19 remaining in the third period Wednesday and the Red Wings went on to defeat the Phoenix Coyotes 6-3 at Jobing.com Arena, sweeping the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Detroit overwhelmed Phoenix with its depth, in Game 4 and throughout the series.

Patrick Eaves scored two goals. Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall and Todd Bertuzzi also scored for the Red Wings, who eliminated the Coyotes in the opening round for the second consecutive season. Cleary and Valtteri Filppula each added a pair of assists.

The Red Wings get a much-needed respite of at least a week before the next round, enabling them to heal their injuries. They won't learn their second-round opponent for at least a few more days. If Vancouver, which leads Chicago 3-1, and San Jose, which leads Los Angeles 2-1, both win their series, the Red Wings would face the Sharks.

Henrik Zetterberg missed all of this series and the final two regular season games with a sprained left knee. Johan Franzen was scratched after the pregame warmups due to a sore left ankle. Coach Mike Babcock said both will be ready for the first of the next round.

“It's funny how it goes. When an important player is out, it's almost like you play smarter, play harder,'' Cleary said. “You realize you're missing your top offensive guys. Certainly our depth was key for this series. We're going to need that as time goes on.

“We wanted to close it out right away and we were able to do that against a good hockey team without two of our top players.''

Cleary snapped a 3-3 tie on a shot from the corner, just behind the goal line, that bounced in off of the leg of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

“We talked about it,'' Cleary said. “Bryz likes to get off his post a lot. I had time in the corner, I looked and saw he was cheating a little, so I tried to bank it off him.''

Bryzgalov took full responsibility.

“It was my mistake. The team deserved a better result tonight. I’m the reason we lost tonight,'' Bryzgalov said. “I thought overall I played a good game except for this goal that’s the mistake that cost us the chance to compete for the next game.''

He simple lost his focus.

“I checked what's going on in front and when I got my head back to Cleary he had already released the puck,'' Bryzgalov said. “I felt the puck hit me in the leg and I started looking 'where is it' and when I find it it was across the line.''

Bertuzzi added an insurance goal with 4:26 to play when his centering pass went in off the skate of Dave Schlemko. Eaves scored an empty-net goal with 36 seconds remaining.

“It's a good series for us, anytime you can win four straight and not risk getting hurt,'' Babcock said. “I thought tonight was our best game.''

It might have been the final game for the Phoenix franchise. Its ownership situation is unsettled amid reports the team could relocate back to Winnipeg next season. Ironically, the Red Wings eliminated the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the 1996 playoffs, in their final season before relocating to Phoenix.

Shane Doan, a rookie on that 1995-95 Jets team and the current Coyotes captain, summed up the series by saying, “Getting beat four straight, it's almost embarrassing. We needed a lot more.''

The teams traded power-play goals in the second period.

Martin Hanzal put Phoenix ahead 3-2 at 1:09. Kronwall answered at 4:49.

Great plays by Pavel Datsyuk and Darren Helm set up goals for the Red Wings while the Coyotes got a couple of fortunate bounces to score twice in a first period that ended tied 2-2.

Holmstrom opened the scoring at 3:47, rushing to the net to bang in a no-look backhand pass by Datsyuk, who made a terrific move by dangling the puck in the slot.

Eaves, parked in front of the net, knocked in a pass from Helm to tie at 2-2 at 18:47. Helm created the opportunity by leveling Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle behind the net and corralling the puck.

The Coyotes scored two goals in between. Taylor Pyatt's pass to Lee Stempniak hit the skate of defenseman Jonathan Ericsson and went through Jimmy Howard's pads at 5:46.

Doan scored at 9:46, when his shot went off of Nicklas Lidstrom's skate and slowly trickled through Howard's pads.

“Stuff's going to happen out there,'' Howard said. “The first two went off skates and the third one was a tremendous passing play on the power play. It's important you keep the right mind frame and continue to battle and make saves for the guys.''

The Red Wings were too resilient to be denied in the third period.

“I thought our third period we just stuck to it,'' Babcock said. “They're pressing, they're trying to score, they know they're on the ropes. We're allowed to be more patient and wait for opportunities.''

This is Detroit's first sweep since the first round in 2009 vs. Columbus.

“We knew they were going to come out with a strong effort and play their best game,'' Lidstrom said. “We really wanted to win and not have to play a fifth game in Detroit.''