Red Wings at Canucks
The Detroit Red Wings have begun righting the ship by winning three of their last four following a six-game skid (0-2-4). The Red Wings look to continue their good fortune when they open a six-game road trip against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Captain Henrik Zetterberg, who has four goals and three assists in his last six games, scored the go-ahead tally late in the third period of Detroit's 3-1 triumph over New Jersey on Wednesday.
The veteran Swede had two assists and Pavel Datsyuk scored twice in the Red Wings' 5-3 victory over Vancouver on Nov. 30. Canucks right wing Linden Vey tallied twice and set up Shawn Matthias' goal in that contest but has just two assists in his last 12 games and could be a healthy scratch should Zack Kassian return to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 25. Radim Vrbata has tallied in consecutive contests for Vancouver, which opened its five-game homestand with a 3-2 setback to Los Angeles on Thursday.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, CBC (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (20-9-9): Detroit owns a 7-5-3 mark on the road, but it better get used to life away from Joe Louis Arena as Saturday's tilt begins a stretch of 17-of-23 outside of Michigan. "We don't get matchups, we don't control everything, you're in their building, you have to take care of the puck and play defense better, you have to keep the emotion out of the game better," coach Mike Babcock said of life on the road. "They're all real good things (to learn)." Jimmy Howard, who made 30 saves in the first meeting, has been confirmed to start Saturday's contest and owns a 12-5-2 career mark versus Vancouver.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (21-12-3): One season after scoring 14 goals in 73 games, Kassian has sputtered through a trying campaign with just two tallies in his first 17 contests. "I can't really comment on his progression from last year," general manager Jim Benning told The Vancouver Province of the 24-year-old Kassian. "This is the first time I've been around him on a day-to-day basis." Kassian, who has recovered from a finger injury and served as a healthy scratch versus the Kings, needs to use his size and physicality to become a better power forward in the eyes of Benning because "that's how he's going to help us win."
OVERTIME
1. Vancouver G Ryan Miller, who played collegiately at Michigan State, has struggled mightily versus Detroit with a 2-10-2 mark and 3.43 goals-against average in 14 career meetings.
2. Red Wings D Jakub Kindl (elbow) participated in Friday's practice but isn't eligible to return to game action until Sunday.
3. The Canucks placed rugged LW Tom Sestito on waivers on Friday.