On the Wings

Update (4:45 PM): Thanks to Justin in the comments for pointing out an error below on Mike Cammalleri’s assist totals. The former UM star has 40 helpers so far this season, not 50. I was so intent on calling his and Datsyuk’s numbers comparable that I misread the columns in the NHL.com preview in the process of switching back and forth between tabs. It’s their point totals that are similar, obviously, not so much the assists.  Sorry about that. - Matt

Update (1:05 PM): Helene St. James reports that Valtteri Filppula, Johan Franzen, Josh Langfeld and Matt Ellis did not practice yesterday. She quotes Mike Babcock,

“Fil’s fine, Mule’s fine and Langfeld had to go get his stuff [from Grand Rapids]. So they’re all playing.”

That bit about Langfeld is just more confirmation that he’s with the team for the long haul, as he cannot return to the Griffins.

As for Ellis, he had the day off because his wife gave birth to their first child, a son they’ve named Matthew Hayden Ellis, Wednesday night. Congratulations to the Ellis’s! - Matt

Tonight is the fourth and final game between these two teams this season. The Wings lead the series 2-1, with wins October 16th (3-1) and December 31st (6-2). The Kings won the most recent meeting 4-2, on January 6th.

After posting a miserable 3-8-1 record in January, the Kings have gone a slightly more respectable 5-4-5 in February and March. Still, they have lost their last three and have earned a point in only one of those games, their most recent, a 3-2 overtime decision on Wednesday. Their last win streak came from February 24th to March 1st, a stretch in which they beat two teams, Colorado and Anaheim, both of which were visiting. The Kings have one of the worst road records in the league at 9-20-3, but will be looking to improve that on the third stop of a four-game roadtrip.

The Kings are currently last in the Conference, but only 29th in the League. They are just two points behind Phoenix for 28th.

Mike Cammalleri is the team’s leading scorer with 50 40 assists and 67 points, numbers comparable to Pavel Datsyuk’s 50 assists and 70 points. Alexander Frolov leads the team in goals with 33, which equals Henrik Zetterberg’s total to this point.

The Kings will be without top defenseman Rob Blake, who is out with a groin injury.

Sean Burke should be in net tonight for the Kings. Mathieu Garon was the starter Wednesday night for the second game of a back-to-back.

Unlike LA, the Wings have had winning records in January (8-5-1), February (8-2-2), and March (2-0-1). They have won two of their last three, with the first coming over Chicago on the 2nd, and the second coming over Nashville on Tuesday. They lost in overtime to Colorado on Sunday. Tonight’s game is the fourth in a five-game homestand for the Wings, who will play Boston on Sunday before traveling to Nashville to play the Predators on Tuesday.

The Wings are currently fourth in the Conference, three points behind Nashville, who beat Calgary 6-3 last night, with two games in hand.

Dominik Hasek is slated to return tonight after missing a week with a sore thigh. Chris Osgood will back him up, if Dom does actually start. Ted Kulfan reports that Babcock will make a decision on Dom’s status after practice.

Mikael Samuelsson is also expected to play tonight. He’s been out since January 20th with a broken foot. Expect him to see time on the second line with Robert Lang and Kyle Calder, perhaps switching out with Johan Franzen. Don’t expect Sammy to have a big impact since he still has to work up to full game shape. His status also depends on how he looks in practice today.

The rest of the Wings’ injured players remain out: Tomas Holmstrom (upper body), Henrik Zetterberg (back), Todd Bertuzzi (back).

Tonight’s an important game for the Wings, who need to maintain their focus and not become complacent even though they’re playing the team with the worst record in the Conference. The Kings have little to lose and will certainly play with heart. The Wings need to do the same in order to keep a high level of competition down the stretch. They can’t just show up for games with Nashville.

Be aware, however, that they have a chance at beating a season high standard for consecutive games with a point earned. Win, or lose in extra time, tonight and they’ll have a point in 10 straight games. If you’re like me, you keep your hopes low on these types of nights because the Wings oftentimes have ways of falling short of their own records.