| | There's very little that is average about the Detroit Red Wings. But, the closest approximation is their road record, which was just one game over .500 entering Sunday's action. A game in Calgary against the upstart Flames should be a good test. Also, we'll give you a good reason to tune into Boston-Tampa Bay, believe it or not.
Detroit at Calgary, 9:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, ESPN2
Detroit-Calgary might not be a match on paper, but Fred Brathwaite's snub for the All-Star team could bring his game up another notch -- as if it needed that. The diminutive, 5-foot-7 netminder is 14-10-3, with a 2.11 GAA and .923 save percentage. Many think he is the major reason the Flames have crawled back into playoff contention.
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Carolina at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday --
Why bother with this seemingly irrelevant game? Call it the Keith Primeau factor. The unsigned free agent forward has been rumored to be appearing in more places than Elvis. One place mentioned quite a bit is New York, where every free agent gets some time on the rumor treadmill. But the Primeau-to-Rangers talk was based in reality, especially when the Rangers started so poorly. In the end, both would benefit from having the power forward, so critique both teams from that perspective. Oh, you can do it again Thursday in North Carolina. |
Detroit's goaltending situation isn't nearly as solid. In fact, it is sometimes the team's weakest link. Overall, the Wings have a GAA of 2.53 and a save percentage of .901. Chris Osgood is just getting back into form after being out with injury, and he'll be the key to more consistency in net.
One positive this week is that the Wings are getting healthier. Slava Kozlov, who has been out since Jan. 4 with an ankle injury, returned to score a goal Sunday in Detroit's 3-3 tie at Edmonton.
Kirk Maltby returned from missing 41 games with a hernia, only to go down with a left ankle injury on a blocked shot last week. He should be back this week.
St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, ESPN2
It's a safe bet Penguins coach Herb Brooks won't be on the bench because of his recent postgame tirade at a television announcer. Also, Jaromir Jagr might not play because of a rib injury.
On the other side, St. Louis now leads the Central Division with a one-point lead over Detroit, and has all facets of its team poised to keep it going.
Sounds like a rout, right? Possibly, but it will be interesting to see how the Penguins react to Brooks going ballistic to defend the integrity of Matthew Barnaby. Barnaby has a penchant for feigning injury, but this was different, and Brooks' intensity could bond the team.
Of course, without Jagr, it may not matter.
Boston at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday
Another dog of a game, you say? Well, if the Bruins don't beat the league's weakest team -- at the moment -- Boston will find itself in a tailspin of Steve Kasper proportions.
Jason Allison's gone with injuries to both arms, and the Bruins' fire had been missing even before that blow was dealt. If Boston is to recover and get back on track for a playoff spot, this road game is a must. Goalie Byron Dafoe has to stop just about everything and pray that somebody finds a way to score.
For the Lightning, coach Steve Ludzik's team might be a bit shellshocked from its recent skid (1-11-2). It will be a real test to see how Tampa finishes the month. Beating Boston is a little bit tougher than beating the Islanders -- but not much. | |
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