Gameday: Wild at Detroit

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Preview: The Wild wraps up its second-to-last road trip of the season at the Joe, where it is 1-6 in its past seven visits and 4-12-1 all-time (outscored 65-38). The Wild's only victory in that stretch was a 6-5 come-from-behind shootout win Jan. 10, 2008. The Red Wings are 6-0-1 in their past seven as they try to make the playoffs for a 19th consecutive season.

Players to watch: In three games together, LW Henrik Zetterberg, C Valtteri Filppula and RW Todd Bertuzzi have combined for 10 goals and 10 assists, and the past seven goals the Wings have scored. Zetterberg and Filppula have combined for eight of the goals. G Jimmy Howard, a Calder Trophy candidate, is expected to start his 21st consecutive game. He has won 30, the most by a Red Wings rookie goalie since Roger Crozier won 40 in 1964-65. D Nicklas Lidstrom, 39, passed the 1,400-game mark last week. He has missed 18 games since 2002-03. Wild G Josh Harding is expected to start. He has lost two in a row on the road (4.81 goals-against average) and is 2-3-1 lifetime vs. Detroit with a 3.32 GAA and .905 save percentage.

Numbers: The Wild is 1-for-28 (3.6 percent) on the power play in the past eight games at Detroit and 4-for-56 (7.1 percent) all-time at Detroit. ... The Red Wings are 2-for-33 (6.1 percent) on the power play in the past nine meetings; the Wild is 6-for-31 (19.4 percent).

Injuries: Wild C Mikko Koivu (arm), D Shane Hnidy (leg), D Clayton Stoner (sports hernia) and F Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion) are out. Red Wings F Patrick Eaves (back/neck) is questionable and F Kirk Maltby (shoulder) is out.

 

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Jimmy Howard is making a strong case to end Red Wings' Calder Trophy drought



The Detroit Red Wings have had the best defenseman, four premier defensive forwards, three top coaches, four playoff most valuable players and one league MVP over the past 45 years.

They've had players recognized for sportsmanship, perseverance and dedication to hockey.

But they have not had the NHL's rookie of the year since 1965, when Olympia Stadium was their home and there were six teams in the league.

Goaltender Jimmy Howard is making a strong bid to end that drought. His Calder Trophy stock is rising with every win.

Howard will make his 21st consecutive start Friday night, on his 26th birthday, at home against the Minnesota Wild as the Red Wings try to match a season-long four-game winning streak.

Arguably the club's MVP, Howard ranks in the top 10 among all goalies in save percentage (fourth at .924), goals-against average (sixth at 2.29) and wins (10th at 30).

Red Wings Steve Yzerman (1984), Sergei Fedorov (1991), Nicklas Lidstrom (1992) and Henrik Zetterberg (2003) came close to winning the Calder, finishing second. The last three Detroit players to win the award were goalies: Roger Crozier (1965), Glen Hall (1956) and Terry Sawchuk (1951).

Howard has an excellent chance to at least be one of three finalists, along with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers and Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene.

"That's secondary,'' Howard said. "I'm not saying I wouldn't like to win it, because I definitely would love to win the Calder, but first and foremost is getting in the playoffs.''

If the Red Wings get in, it will be due in large part to Howard's performance. He grabbed the starting job from veteran Chris Osgood in mid-November and has run with it.
"You can tell he's in a zone,'' Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "He's playing with great confidence, he's got good positioning, he doesn't give up any bad rebounds. You try to help him out on the second chances, but he's very comfortable in net right now.''

Said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock: "Only time will tell if he can do it 10 years in a row. But he looks like he's a goalie and he battles, seems to have a real good attitude. When things don't go well for him, it just seems to be like water off a duck's back, and he's getting better.''

Howard's streak of starts is the longest for a Red Wings rookie goalie since Roy Edwards started 23 games in a row in 1967-68.

He is showing no signs of fatigue, physical or mental.

"When you're a kid and you're fresh, it's your first year in the league, it's not like you're going to get worn out, you just want to play,'' Babcock said. "When you're playing well, you just want to get in the net. It's fun. That's what's happening for Jimmy right now, and we're fortunate.''

The two-week Olympic break has helped keep Howard fresh.

"It breaks up that 20 games in a row, but he's playing solid for us,'' defenseman Brian Rafalski said. "He's keeping things simple. He's making the saves he has to and he's battling hard.''

For Howard, it's much easier to play every night, especially in high intensity games with so much on the line, than it would be to sit out every few games.

"People don't realize when you sit there for a while and then you come in and play, it's really difficult because it's a lot different than practicing,'' Howard said. "There's more traffic and pucks are moving around a little bit more.

"When you're out there and playing every day, it's a lot easier to get into a rhythm and keep going. Even if you let in a so-called goal you want back, it's easier to bounce back.''

Howard played 186 games over the past four seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Red Wings were patient with his development, and it has paid off.

"I think it helped being the No. 1 goalie and playing a lot of games (in the AHL). And now when he's got a chance to play a lot, he's really responding,'' Lidstrom said. "He's really grabbed that first spot for us.''

It was apparent long ago that the Red Wings would ride Howard into the playoffs. Osgood, whose last start was Jan. 27, doesn't like sitting, but he has been supportive of Howard.

"He's been great,'' Howard said. "A lot of relationships like this probably could have gone south, but he's such a great friend and a great goalie himself that there's a lot I can learn from him.''