The Detroit Red Wings (44-22-3) will be look to regain their mojo in California, as they commence a three-game roadie on the West Coast this evening at the Staples Center against the playoff desperate Los Angeles Kings (32-25-12) (10:30 pm EST, Fox Sports Detroit)
The Wings have lost their way over the past 3 weeks with a disappointing 3-5-1 record over that time. It goes without saying that injuries have not helped this hockey club during this mediocre stretch, yet the team has battled regardless. This "compete level" was on display during their 4-3 home win on Friday night vs. these very Kings where the Red Wings persevered despite having difficulty mounting much of an attack, mustering only 15 shots on goal. Needless to say, the Red Wings hung around and jumped on the backs of
Henrik Zetterberg and
Valteri Filppula offensively to snag a victory.
On Saturday night in Nashville, the Red Wings outshot the Predators 37-20 in controlling the majority of the game, but came out on the short end of a 3-2 result. The loss was Detroit's fifth in six road contests and put the Red Wings at 16-18-1 on the road this season. It also enabled St. Louis to jump out to a six-point advantage in the race for the Central Division title, with Detroit having a game in hand.
Therefore, despite the woes that have come in the standings the past three weeks, Coach Mike Babcock has no major qualms with the play of his team of late. Given the loss of such offensive players like
Pavel Datsyuk and
Todd Bertuzzi, the Red Wings have limited their opponents to an average of 21 shots on goal the past five contests. However, the loss of Datsyuk and
Nicklas Lidstrom has hampered the power play's production, going 0-for-20 in their past five contests.
Meanwhile, the injuries have allowed players like
Brendan Smith and
Gustav Nyquist a greater opportunity to prove their worth to the hockey club and perhaps provide a glimpse of what they could add to the Red Wing playoff roster. Babcock has been forthright in stating his favorable impression of both players. In particular, Babcock has been pleased with what he has seen out of Nyquist defensively, and his ability to play a strong game without the puck, something that many young players struggle with early on in their pro careers.
Meanwhile, Smith has been very impressive thus far since being recalled from Grand Rapids following the trade deadline. In six games, he has 1 goal and 2 assists, while being a plus-5 as he averages around 16 minutes of ice time per game.
On the injury front,
Jimmy Howard is the only expected returnee this evening against the Kings. He will start in goal for only the fifth time in over a month, dealing with a broken finger and most recently a suspected tweak of the groin. Howard is only 1-2-1 over the past month and will be looking to regain his earlier form over the final month of the regular season.
Todd Bertuzzi fully participated in practice on Monday and is listed as probable for Wednesday night's tilt in Anaheim, barring any setbacks.
Pavel Datsyuk is targeting a return on Saturday night in San Jose vs. the Sharks.
Nicklas Lidstrom continues to attempt to skate on his own, but has not had much success with his ankle issue. Both he and
Jakub Kindl (strained oblique) are not expected back during the California swing of this road trip.
The upside to this road trip is the fact Detroit is going up against three teams that are desperately seeking a playoff spot and will elevate their intensity level to playoff-like levels. The Red Wings will need to match that if they want to have a successful three-game sojourn to the West Coast and keep the St. Louis Blues within striking distance.
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