Detroit Red Wings Weekly Rewind

All-Star Jimmy Howard will be back in the Red Wings' lineup and is expected to start in goal this Tuesday in Chicago. Photo by Dinur.

After a successful homestand where they went a perfect 6-0-0, the Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the NHL Standings with a 41-17-2 record and 84 points. During their six-game stretch at the Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings set the league record with 23 consecutive home wins (and still counting). The Red Wings have an astounding home record of 26-2-1, but would like to take some of that on the road, where they have a 15-15-1 record.

Joey MacDonald held down the fort while Jimmy Howard was out with a broken finger. If MacDonald is sent back to Grand Rapids, there should be an investigation. But if he sticks with the Red Wings, the duo of Howard and MacDonald would automatically be right there with the goaltending duos of the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist/Martin Biron, the Canucks’ Roberto Luongo/Cory Schneider, and the Bruins’ Tim Thomas/Tuukka Rask as the best in the league.

Team Leaders:

Goals: Johan Franzen-23

Assists: Pavel Datsyuk-43

Points: Pavel Datsyuk-59

Plus/Minus: Ian White-+28

Penalty Minutes: Todd Bertuzzi-54

Power Play Goals: Johan Franzen-11

Game-Winning Goals: Johan Franzen-10

Short Handed Goals: Brad Stuart/Valtteri Filppula-1

Shots on Goal: Henrik Zetterberg-184

Shooting Percentage: Jiri Hudler-22.5%

Average Ice Time Per Game: Nicklas Lidstrom-23:55

Goalie Stats:

Jimmy Howard- 32-11-1; 2.03 goals against average; .924 save percentage; 5 shutouts

Joey MacDonald-6-1-1; 1.66 goals against average; .934 save percentage

Ty Conklin- 3-5-0; 3.40 goals against average; .878 save percentage, 1 shutout

Game 58:  Dallas Stars 1  Detroit Red Wings 3

The Red Wings made NHL history with their 21st consecutive home win, surpassing the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers, who each previously held the mark with 20. Henrik Zetterberg, Brad Stuart and Jiri Hudler scored goals for the Red Wings while Joey MacDonald stopped 20 shots for the win.

Game 59:  Nashville Predators 1  Detroit Red Wings 2

Pavel Datsyuk showcased his talents and proved his worth as to why he’s one of the best hockey players in the world. He scored the game-winning goal with five seconds left in regulation, giving the Red Wings their 22nd straight home win. Johan Franzen also scored while Joey MacDonald made 20 saves for the Red Wings.

Game 60:  San Jose Sharks 2  Detroit Red Wings 3

The Red Wings got goals from Henrik Zetterberg, Drew Miller and Darren Helm as they halted a five-game losing streak to the Sharks.  Joey MacDonald made 31 saves (18 in the second period) for his sixth straight victory and made some key saves in the process.  All four lines did their job, but the third line of Helm, Miller and Justin Abdelkader were the best of the four.

Red Wings Three Stars of the Week:

Joey MacDonald-3-0-0, 1.33 goals against average, .947 save percentage

Henrik Zetterberg-two goals, one assist

Pavel Datsyuk-one goal, two assists

Team Transactions:

February 16:  F Tomas Tatar recalled from Grand Rapids (AHL), F Dan Cleary placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb 8.

February 18:  F Tomas Tatar sent down to Grand Rapids

This Week’s Games:

The Red Wings will take a breather from the Joe as they travel to the Windy City for a Central Division clash with the Chicago Blackhawks.  Thursday, they head back home for a matchup with the Vancouver Canucks and close out the week with a Saturday night date with the Colorado Avalanche.