Dominik Hasek is disappointed in himself. 
TONIGHT: COYOTES  
Face-off: Red Wings vs. Phoenix, 7:30, Joe Louis Arena.
TV/radio: Fox Sports Net; WXYT-AM (1270), CFCO-AM (630), WTKA-AM (1050).
Injuries: Detroit -- D Uwe Krupp (rotator cuff), D Jesse Wallin (groin, abdomen), out. Phoenix -- D Todd Simpson (broken foot), out.
Overview: The Wings will try to recover from their first two-game losing streak of the season. Detroit won the first meeting, 3-1, Nov. 7 at Phoenix. The Wings are 4-0-2 in their past six against Phoenix, and haven't lost to the Coyotes since Jan. 31, 2000.
 
He said Thursday he played his "worst game this year" on Wednesday night, when he allowed four goals on 18 shots in the Red Wings' 4-1 loss to Colorado. He also said he hadn't "proven anything here yet." 
"I feel I could be more helpful to the team," Hasek said. "I feel like I came here to play better than I've played until this point." 
The Dominator, as Hasek is known, has won six Vezina trophies as the NHL's top goaltender. He won the Vezina last season. Then he asked Buffalo to trade him to Detroit over the summer, and the Sabres obliged. 
At 15-6-1, Hasek leads the league in victories. But his 2.54 goals-against average and .902 save percentage are nowhere near the league leaders, and thus, they are nowhere near his high standards. 
"I expect more from myself, especially in the last six or seven games," Hasek said. "We won some of them. We lost some of them. I am not very pleased with my performance. I'm sort of upset, especially after last couple games." 
The Avalanche stunned Hasek by scoring 32 seconds into Wednesday night's game. Less than six minutes later, the Avs scored a soft power-play goal. The puck went in off the inside of Hasek's left pad. 
Afterward, "I was down," Hasek said. 
The Avs' final goal looked awful. Defenseman Rob Blake took a seemingly harmless shot that slipped underneath Hasek's pads. 
"I felt terrible after a game like that," Hasek said. "I gave up goal on the first shot. I gave up goal on the last shot. I gave up goal on the first power play. It's like . . . I was very disappointed with myself. 
"What can I say? It was probably my worst game this year." 
As they have all season, the Wings said they have been relying far too much on Hasek, who has saved them on several occasions. But he shrugged off those comments. 
He also shrugged off talk that he has a history of starting slowly, only to heat up later in the season. 
"I don't want to talk about it," Hasek said. "It's a new season, new team. My goal is to play better, no doubt."
    
Hull down about his low output 
December 10, 2001
After a short practice Sunday, a frustrated Brett Hull ripped off his uniform and pads. 
When asked about his recent play, Hull's blood pressure rises. He's angry with himself, and he's not shy about showing it. 
"It's not really good when you're a goal-scorer and you can't score," Hull said before the Wings left for a three-game Canadian trip. 
Hull, who has 658 career goals, started the season strong, with seven goals and eight assists in his first 15 games. But he has just two goals and three assists in his past 15. 
Take away two six-shot games -- Friday against Phoenix and Nov. 17 against Los Angeles -- and Hull has just 12 shots in 13 games. Hull doesn't have the answer to cure his inconsistency. 
"If I could tell you stuff like that I would be a genius," Hull said. 
But even geniuses can figure out that Hull has had poor luck. 
He has hit the pipes a number of times in the past 15 games, and he has had an empty-net goal taken away after the final buzzer sounded at Phoenix on Nov. 7. He also had a goal taken away by an inconclusive replay against St. Louis on Nov. 23. 
"I'm still unlucky," Hull said. "That's the way my career is going right now -- downhill." 
Against Phoenix on Friday, Hull was moved down to a line with rookie Pavel Datsyuk and Boyd Devereaux. He responded with six shots on goal. Associate coach Barry Smith says he expects that line to stay intact. 
NOTEBOOK: The Wings have scored three goals in the past three games, dropping them to second in the NHL with 3.30 goals per game. Ottawa has a slight lead with 3.32. . . . Goaltender Dominik Hasek said his new red and white mask needs padding and is almost ready. Hasek hopes to debut the mask next Monday at home against Chicago. . . . Defenseman Jesse Wallin practiced this past weekend for the first time since surgery Nov. 9 on a groin/abdominal tear. He should be able to play by early January. . . . Smith said defenseman Fredrik Olausson was given Sunday off because he was feeling ill. He is expected to play tonight. 
TONIGHT: FLAMES 
Matchup: Red Wings vs. Calgary, 9, Saddledome. 
TV/radio: Channel 50; WXYT-AM (1270), WTKA-AM (1050), CFCO-AM (630). 
Injuries: Detroit -- D Uwe Krupp (shoulder), D Jesse Wallin (groin/abdomen), out. Calgary -- G Roman Turek (right knee), D Derek Morris (wrist), questionable; D Brad Werenka (concussion), C Jeff Shantz (knee), C Oleg Saprykin (neck), out. 
Overview: Detroit is 1-1 against Calgary this season. Former Wings goalie Mike Vernon might start for the Flames, but that may be bad news. Vernon is winless in his past 13 starts, and hasn't won since Feb. 9. He played well in his last game against the Wings, stopping 34 shots in a 4-2 Flames victory at Calgary on Jan. 21. The Flames are winless in 11 games, and have a five-game winless skid at home. 
    
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Hull down about his low output
 
 
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