Blue Jackets at Red Wings
THE STORY: Many teams have attempted to leave Joe Louis Arena with a victory this season. Very few have succeeded. The Columbus Blue Jackets will be the latest club to try their luck when they visit the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Detroit has won 15 consecutive games at home since losing its third straight in Motown on Nov. 3 against the Calgary Flames. The Red Wings, who enter with a five-game overall winning streak, are an astounding 18-2-1 in their own building. Columbus, which is beginning a six-game road trip, has lost four of six overall and six of eight away from home.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), FSN Plus (Detroit)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (13-28-5): Radek Martinek's first season with Columbus officially can be considered a disaster. The defenseman will miss the remainder of the campaign with a concussion he sustained when hit by Detroit's Brad Stuart on Oct. 19. In seven games, Martinek recorded one goal and a minus-3 rating. "Radek is very disappointed, as we are, that he will not return to the ice this year," Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson said. "But his health is the most important factor in this decision." Former Red Wing Brett Lebda was signed Thursday to help fill the void. Ledba registered a goal and three assists in 41 contests with Toronto last season but had a minus-14 rating. Columbus became the last team in the league to be shut out when it dropped a 3-0 decision to Nashville on Thursday.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (31-15-1): Five of Detroit's last six victories have gone beyond regulation, with the Red Wings winning three times in the shootout and twice in overtime. Detroit currently has the highest-scoring defense corps in the league with 30 goals. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall share the team lead with nine tallies apiece, while Ian White has scored six times. White also is tied with two players, including teammate Johan Franzen, for fourth in the NHL with a plus-26 rating. Todd Bertuzzi's next goal will be the 300th of his career.
OVERTIME:
1. Columbus has won just 18 of its last 69 meetings with the Red Wings and has lost 27 of 34 at Detroit.
2. The Red Wings are five home wins away from matching the all-time record shared by the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers.
3. The Blue Jackets are 2-3-0 under interim coach Todd Richards.