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Blue Jackets-Red Wings Preview
Associated Press

DETROIT -- In their previous game, the Red Wings failed to record a point for the first time in 10 tries. They've consistently earned at least one point at Joe Louis Arena over their next opponent.

Detroit looks to avoid a season-high third straight loss Friday when it meets a Columbus Blue Jackets team it's dominated at home.

Since the Blue Jackets entered the NHL in 2000-01, Detroit has gone 17-3-2 against them at Joe Louis Arena. The Wings (14-3-4), though, haven't played well at home this season.

They're an NHL-best 10-1-2 on the road, but have split their eight home games - losing twice in regulation and twice in overtime.

After a 7-0-2 start to November, Detroit suffered its first regulation defeat in the month Wednesday, 3-1 at home to the Montreal Canadiens.

Utilizing a neutral zone trap, Montreal clogged up the Red Wings' high-powered offense, which came in averaging 3.75 goals per game, and was the first opponent to hold Detroit to less than two goals this season. Johan Franzen scored with 6:29 left to help the Wings avoid being shut out for the first time since February.

The Canadiens also held Detroit's league-best power-play unit (31.8 percent) to no goals in three opportunities.

"They had five guys across the red line and blue line and didn't give us much speed through the neutral zone," Nicklas Lidstrom said. "I thought they slowed us down in that area, and we couldn't generate any offense."

Ty Conklin lost for the first time in three starts and dropped to 6-2-0. Conklin is unbeaten in four meetings with the Blue Jackets, going 2-0-0 with two ties, while Chris Osgood is 9-6-3 against Columbus.

The Blue Jackets (9-9-3) have scored two goals in each of their past four games - three losses - and suffered a 3-2 defeat Wednesday to Phoenix despite 40 shots on goal and eight power-play chances.

Columbus, which has converted 10.8 percent of its power-play opportunities this season, went 0-for-8 and is 1-for-21 with the man advantage in the past five games. Jason Chimera tied Wednesday's game at 2 early in the third period, but the Blue Jackets couldn't convert on a 5-on-3 with less than eight minutes left, and the Coyotes scored with 2:32 remaining.

"We got the guys out there who can score goals and who can play the power play," Chimera said. "We've just got to bear down and score the goals when we can."

The Coyotes also broke a 112-minute, 53-second shutout streak for rookie goalie Steve Mason with David Hale's goal 9:41 into the second period. Mason, making his second straight start, dropped to 4-2-1. He has never faced Detroit.

Columbus' other goalie, Pascal Leclaire, has won two of his last three starts against the Red Wings after going 1-4-2 with a 3.61 goals-against average in his first eight appearances versus them.

Rick Nash, who has a team-leading 10 goals, had a five-game goal-scoring streak snapped Wednesday and failed to record a point for the second time in 11 games. Nash had a goal and an assist in each of his three previous contests.

He has 15 goals and 16 assists in 32 games versus the Red Wings, posting a point in each of the last eight meetings.

Kristian Huselius, who scored in the first period Wednesday, extended his point streak to five. He has three goals and two assists over that span.

The Red Wings have won three straight in this series to improve to 33-8-3 with one tie all-time against the Blue Jackets.

 




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STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39

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