In the summer, Detroit Red Wings fans couldn’t get rid of Jimmy Howard fast enough.
Today, the same fans wonder how the team will survive without Howard in the Detroit goal.
Detroit scraped out its second straight win, a 5-4 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils, after Howard left early in the contest with what the Wings termed a lower-body injury. Howard was placed on the seven-day injured reserve list and Jared Coreau was recalled from AHL Grand Rapids.
“His skate got caught a little bit,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said of Howard. “I’m not 100 per cent positive. I just knew he was out.
“I don’t think it’s a long-term thing. I think it’s a week-type thing, so I expect him back sooner than later. But it’ll be a week for sure.…
Petr Mrazek, who usurped Howard’s job as No. 1 goaltender last season, came off the bench to get the win but surrendered three goals on 16 shots, an .813 save percentage.
“With Petr, to come in and make the saves and get the win, I think can do similar for him what the Buffalo win did for us on Wednesday, and that’s build his confidence and hopefully he can come out with a real good outing tomorrow (against Montreal),… Blashill said.
After Mrazek took over the top role last season, the Wings sought to deal Howard in the off-season but could find no takers, much to the chagrin of the Red Wings faithful. But Howard dedicated himself to an off-season conditioning program and also quieted his game to where he didn’t play nearly as aggressively and the result was that his strong play moved him back into the spot as Detroit’s top goalie. Friday was his fourth straight start and eighth in nine games.
With a 5-5-1 record, a 3.18 goals-against average and .896 save percentage, Mrazek’s performance this season hasn’t exactly inspired confidence.
“When you haven’t played a bunch in a little bit and it’s not going your way, to get in there and get a W is great thing for Pete,… Blashill said.
Frans Pumped Up Center Frans Nielsen, Detroit’s biggest off-season free-agent addition, contributed a pair of goals, one of them a shorthanded effort after Justin Abdelkader caused disruption in the New Jersey end.
“We talked about being a little more aggressive down there and he went right down and created a turnover,… Nielsen said. “It was just a little lucky.
“I did have the whole net but I still managed to almost miss it but it was good to see it go in.…
Nielsen was more excited by the way the Wings approached the game.
“It was a big win,… Nielsen said. “I think we played one of our better games this year. We were getting pucks deep, we were getting pucks to the net. It wasn’t fancy.
“I think it showed that we are a tough team to play against when we do that and simplify a little bit. Hopefully, we realize here that this is how we’ve got to play to be successful.…
Trap? What trap? The Devils are supposed to be all about shutting down the other team but they’ve had some high-scoring games with the Wings in recent years. On Nov. 11, 2014, the Wings topped the Devils 5-4 in a shootout. And on March 3, 2014, Detroit whipped New Jersey 7-4.
The last time the Wings scored five goals in a game was Oct. 17, a 5-1 verdict over the Ottawa Senators in their home opener.
“There’s a lot of ups and downs during games,… Nielsen said. “I liked the way we stuck with it there and just kept looking for it. We found a win.…
Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer