The Detroit Red Wings are starting
to play better. Surprisingly, so are the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue
Jackets have won a season-high three straight and have enjoyed success
this season against the Red Wings heading into Saturday's matchup in
Columbus.
These Central Division rivals complete their season series this weekend
with a home-and-home set, with Sunday's rematch set for Joe Louis Arena.
The Red Wings (12-8-4) enter on a 5-1-1 roll that has seen them move
into second place in the division behind Chicago as they seek a 22nd
straight playoff berth. "We're 5-1-1 in the last seven and it feels like
we haven't moved at all," center Cory Emmerton said. "One day we're in
fourth and the next day we're in 10th, so every game is huge." No
Western Conference team has fewer points than the 20 for Columbus
(8-12-4), but the club has turned in its best hockey during this run.
The Blue Jackets have played five straight games that have gone to
overtime and look to cap a perfect four-game homestand after Matt
Calvert's game-winner in Thursday's 2-1 victory over Vancouver. Ten of
Columbus' last 11 games have been decided by one goal. The exception was
a 5-3 loss at Phoenix on Feb. 16 in which the Coyotes scored into an
empty net for the final tally. "At the start of the year, we were in a
lot of one-goal losses," Calvert said. "It didn't go our way and you
could blame it on bounces but at the end of the night, you've just got
to keep on going." The Blue Jackets have won twice and lost in a
shootout in their three meetings with the Red Wings this season. "Our
next two games are against a team that has five out of six points
against us," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "They've got an overtime
loss against us and they beat us twice. Columbus won again (Thursday) so
we're going to have our hands full, and we've got to get prepared." The
Red Wings have yielded more than two goals just once in their last
seven games. Jimmy Howard is 4-1-1 with a 1.15 goals-against average in
six starts in that span, making 22 saves Thursday for his second shutout
of the season in a 3-0 victory over Edmonton. "I think we're playing
really well as a team right now. We're doing a lot of great things,"
said Howard, who has a 3.25 GAA in three starts against Columbus this
season. "When you work hard and you pay attention to detail, good things
happen." Detroit is 0 for 16 on the power play against Columbus this
season, 0 for 33 on the road and 0 for 10 in its last five games. The
Blue Jackets have killed off all 18 penalties in their last eight
contests.
