DETROIT -- This is a good time to come out and watch the Red Wings, who have three home games this week. After hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, the Wings will welcome the Dallas Stars at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday and the Buffalo Sabres at 7 p.m. ET Saturday.

The game against the Sabres is sold-out, but tickets still remain for the games vs. Columbus and Dallas.

This season, the Wings are 13-3-2 at the friendly confines of Joe Louis Arena.

IN A SOLID CLASS: Since the beginning of the 1996-97 season, the Detroit Red Wings have won more games (598) than any other NHL franchise. Detroit's 519 regular-season wins and 79 playoff victories are both tops in the NHL over the past 11-plus seasons.

RECORD PACE: On Saturday, goalie Chris Osgood earned career win No. 376 with a 3-2 shootout victory at Minnesota. Osgood is currently 12th on the NHL’s all-time career wins list, just nine wins shy of Mike Vernon (385) and 13 wins behind Dominik Hasek (389).

THAT’S CLOSE: This season, 32 of the Wings’ 37 games been decided by two goals or less, including 23 games decided by a one-goal. The largest margin of victory by the Wings this season is six goals – a 6-0 win over San Jose on Dec. 18. The Wings’ largest margin of defeat is three goals when they dropped a 4-1 decision at Boston on Nov. 29. Here is a look at how Detroit has fared thus far:
Detroit is 15-3-5 in one-goal games.
Detroit is 6-3 in two-goal games.
Detroit is 2-1 in three-goal games.
Detroit is 2-0 in four-goal games.
Detroit is 0-0 in five-goal games.
Detroit is 1-0 in six-goal games.

WHAT?!: Nicklas Lidstrom's streak of eight consecutive All-Star Game starts was snapped, as Chicago's Brian Campbell and Anaheim's Scott Niedermayer were elected as defensive starters for the Western Conference in the 57th All-Star Game in Montreal on Jan. 25. Lidstrom almost surely will be named to the team as a reserve.

COMING ALIVE: Defenseman Brian Rafalski had an assist in the Wings’ 3-2 win at Minnesota on Saturday and a three-point effort in Detroit’s rally over the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field on New Year’s Day. After he was held to one assist in the previous four games, Rafalski has a goal and six assists in his last four games.

MR. VERSITILE: Derek Meech returned to the lineup last Saturday in his regular defensive position. With a lack of salary cap space, Meech’s versatility has given the coaching staff the option of playing him mostly as a forward this season.

SHARP-SHOOTER: Pavel Datsyuk had his nine-game points streak snapped (eight goals, nine assists) Saturday, but scored a tremendous goal in the shootout, which proved to be the difference in the 3-2 win at Minnesota. He is 4-for-6 in shootout attempts this season, ranking him third among players with at least five shootout opportunities.

BACK ON PACE: Henrik Zetterberg had four assists in wins at Minnesota and Chicago last week, including three in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. It was his first multi-point game since Dec. 13.

RECORD YEAR: Through 38 games, Jiri Hudler has matched his career-high of 15 goals, set during the 2006-07 campaign. He has 32 points this season, 10 short of his total from last season, when he played in 81 games.
 
HOT WINGER: Mikael Samuelsson’s goals at Minnesota and Chicago marks the first time that the Red Wings’ veteran has scored in back-to-back games in over a year. The winger, with three goals and two assists in his last five games, last scored in consecutive games in Dec. 2007 when he scored in back-to-back 4-2 wins at Phoenix (Dec. 29) and Colorado (Dec. 27).