This will be quick, as I’ve got to go run to the grocery store, bake a cake, and head off to a friend’s for dinner… which means I’ll be missing most of the game as well.

The Red Wings haven’t won a single game against the lowly Oilers this year, something that I hope they’ll take into consideration tonight.  Babcock told the Freep:

“We get beat like a rented mule,” coach Mike Babcock said Monday. “They just slap us around every time we play them. We’re usually down two after about 6 minutes.”

Well, maybe bring out the (non-rented) Mule tonight and hope that he can do some damage against the Oilers and turn the table on them.

Helene’s also reporting that Meech will be joining Eaves and Helm, which moves Draper up to center Miller and Williams (I have the worst time remembering about Williams.  Whenever I’m running through lines and the roster in my head, I’m constantly missing someone, and without fail, it’s J-Wills).

It sounds like Cleary will be taking a longer time to come back from this aggravated groin injury of his, as to make sure it’s fully healed this time around.  That said, he still doesn’t have a time table for return.

Jimmy is starting again, for the 23rd time in a row, which leads me to believe that we will not ever see Osgood between the pipes again, unless Howard falters in the playoffs.

Playoff Implications
If the Red Wings win this, they will move up to 93 points, to sit one behind Nashville, so long as the Preds lose to the Kings.  That’s a bit of a crappy game right there, and one you can only hope doesn’t go to OT.

The Wings have won 5 straight–can they make it 6 against a team that’s had their number all season?

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