Music: {allcanada} Detroit (6-2-1) at Calgary (6-5-0)

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

{allcanada} Detroit (6-2-1) at Calgary (6-5-0)

Game info: 9:30 pm EDT Wed Nov 3, 2010
TV: TSN, FSD

The Detroit Red Wings were the NHL's top offensive team two seasons ago, but couldn't find that same scoring punch in 2009-10 as injuries and defections took a toll.

If the last few games are an indication, the Red Wings might be ready to resume their place among the league's best offenses.

Detroit will try to keep rolling by taking advantage of a struggling Calgary Flames defense in Wednesday night's opener of a three-game Canadian road trip.

The Red Wings scored a league-leading 289 goals in 2008-09 en route to their second straight Stanley Cup finals appearance. Last season, Detroit finished 14th with 223.

Johan Franzen (notes) and Tomas Holmstrom (notes) were among the team's numerous injured players and the Red Wings were also trying to recover from the loss of Jiri Hudler (notes), Marian Hossa (notes) and Mikael Samuelsson (notes) to free agency.

Healthier and with Hudler back from his brief stay in Russia, the Red Wings have outscored opponents 30-23 during their 6-2-1 start. They've scored 16 times in the past four games, including a 5-2 win over Nashville on Saturday.

Pavel Datsyuk (notes) scored twice and had an assist in that win. Henrik Zetterberg (notes) recorded his 10th point in the last five games (three goals, seven assists) by setting up Datsyuk's first score.

Datsyuk has four goals and four assists in that same span. Holmstrom and Franzen have scored three goals apiece in the past four contests.

Zetterberg and Franzen found the net in a 4-2 victory over Calgary on Oct. 21, which kicked off a 3-1 homestand. The Red Wings will next try to win their third straight at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Holmstrom scored in both of last season's victories.

"We're going into Calgary and they'll be fired up after dropping two in a row," coach Mike Babcock said. "We know we're going to play really well there."

In this trip to Calgary, they'll face a team that's allowed 17 goals in the past three games. Calgary gave up six of those in the second period of Saturday's 7-2 loss to Washington.

"Seventeen goals against in three games is horrific," center Brendan Morrison (notes) told the team's website. "This team has always been known as a defensive team and it's still in there. It's in this room. We got away from it the last couple games."

The Flames (6-5-0) have also had a problem maintaining early leads in the past three games.

Olli Jokinen (notes) and Curtis Glencross (notes) scored the game's first two goals Saturday. The Flames also led 3-1 against Colorado on Thursday before falling 6-5 and blew a 4-1 lead to Edmonton in a 5-4 shootout win Oct. 26.

"It doesn't seem like we're learning our lesson," defenseman Robyn Regehr (notes) said. "For us, we have to take pride in playing the way we do at the start of the game and just continue on. It's a hard way to play but that's the way we have to do it."

While the Flames goaltenders are struggling, the Red Wings might have one healthy netminder for their road trip. Chris Osgood (notes), who earned his 398th career victory against Nashville, hurt his groin during practice Monday.

Jimmy Howard (notes) is expected to start Wednesday after sitting out two games with back spasms. Howard, who is 4-0-1 with a 2.14 goals-against average this season, has posted a 1.50 GAA in consecutive victories over the Flames.