OGT: Nashville PRedators @ Detroit Red Wings

[SportsFromA2]

7:30PM, FSD+.

Howard starting, Quincey scratched:

Jimmy Howard will start tonight in goal for the Detroit Red Wings against the Nashville Predators at Joe Louis Arena (7:30, Fox Sports Detroit Plus).

Coach Mike Babcock initially planned on playing Ty Conklin but changed his mind. Howard has missed four games with a strained groin, the second time this month the injury has flared up on him.

“I talked to Jimmy (goaltending coach Bedard) and I talked to Piet (trainer Van Zant) and everything seems to be OK,'' Babcock said. "Jimmy says he's feeling good about himself, so obviously we'd like to get him going.''

Howard hasn't played since a 5-3 loss to Washington on March 19. He missed three games with the same injury earlier this month and sat out eight games with a broken right index finger in February.
“Just going out there and forgetting about the past month and a half,'' Howard said. "I think I'm prepared, I've been working hard to get back there. I'm just going to go out there and play.

“Everyone wants to feel great going into the playoffs. What's going to be key for me over the next four games is getting back to where I was before the injuries.''

On defense, Jakub Kindl is in for Kyle Quincey. Babcock said he'll sit out a different defenseman each of the last few games to make sure all seven are playing heading into the postseason.

“We have seven D, we believe we really have depth,'' Babcock said. "I told the D before the Columbus game we're going to have a rotation. I wouldn't spend a whole lot of time worrying about that. I thought Kuba's (Kindl) been playing great his last 5-6 games, so you'll see a different guy out the next game.''

Gustav Nyquist remains in the lineup as Jan Mursak is scratched for the second game in a row.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index....g_for_red.html

[SportsFromA2]

Babcock is making one other change to tonight's lineup, as he's pulling defenseman Kyle Quincey, whom the Wings acquired a week before the trade deadline, and inserting reserve d-man Jakub Kindl. Quincey hasn't had a particularly slick transition since joining the Wings a month ago, but Babcock made a point of saying nothing should be read into this decision other than that he wants everyone to play before the playoffs.

"We have seven D," Babcock said. "We believe we really have depth on D. I told the D before the Columbus game we're going to have a rotation. I wouldn't spend a whole lot of time worrying about that. That's just what I decided to do. I thought Kuba's played great his last five or six games. So you'll see a different guy out next guy."

The Wings got Quincey to shore up their back end, but he ended up having to play a bigger role, even as he was making the transition from Colorado's system to Detroit's, because of injuries to Nicklas Lidstrom and Jonathan Ericsson.

Quincey said he understood the decision. "I'm not surprised. We have seven great D. It is what it is. Obviously, you want to be playing."

The Wings had an optional skate this morning, but the lines for tonight are anticipated to be:

Franzen-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi

Filppula-Zetterberg-Hudler

Miller-Abdelkader-Cleary

Holmstrom-Emmerton-Nyquist

Howard is eager to play after sitting four games. "Today was the day we were targeting," he said. "It's a chance to get back out there and get back into game shape. Tonight is a huge game. It could have huge home-ice implications, so we're going to have to go out there and play our game. Just go out there and do our thing."

In other goalie news, Joey MacDonald said he's doing better after getting a cortisone shot Tuesday to help offset a bulging disk, but it'll take a few more days to even determine determine when he can start skating.

http://www.freep.com/article/2012033...20/1048/sports

[reggie21]

Coach Mike Babcock initially planned on playing Ty Conklin but changed his mind Conklin isn't very good.

interesting...

[flemgoblue]

big game

[MoOff24]

cool, cant wait to see nyquist play 5 min on the 4th line again.

[LionSB06]

cool, cant wait to see nyquist play 5 min on the 4th line again.

Agree, getting really old seeing them not play him more. Would like to see him get some PP mins also and see what he can do there as well.

[Scott37189]

Need to get Howard back in a groove

[LionSB06]

Need to get Howard back in a groove

Need the whole team to get back in a groove.

[TG7782]

Even game so far, a seeing eye puck finds the net for the Preds, 1-0.

Wings about to go to a power play, Lidstrom rang one of the post on their first PP try earlier.

[The Great Gazoo]

[TG7782]

That sucks, they've been outplaying them mostly but a post and an amazing save by Rinne see them down 2-0 with only 20 to go. Not looking good but they can do it I think.