That's where Detroit is sitting now, after holding the youngin'-filled Edmonton Oilers scoreless. The Red Wings saw goals from Drew Miller, Niklas Kronwall and Valtteri Filppula to rout the Oilers 3-0. Jimmy Howard recorded his 3rd shutout of the season, and his 8th of his career.
The Wings were able to counter much of Edmonton's typical high-octane style of play by staying disciplined with the puck, minimizing turnovers, and staying physical in the neutral zone. Patrick Eaves made his way back to the lineup tonight and was very feisty on the ice. Another big factor on the ice, in my mind, was Darren Helm. Helm's tenacity never ceases to amaze me, but tonight there were stints where it literally looked like he was in two places at once. He was absolutely dogged in his pursuit of puck carriers, and relentless on the boards when battling for puck possession.
Henrik Zetterberg was a game-time decision, and even though he recorded an assist with his beautiful saucer pass to Filppula, it was obvious that he was nursing some kind of injury. Johan Franzen also got an assist on the same goal, and continued his point streak, which is now at 7 points over 3 games.
So as it stands, the Wings move into 7th in the West with their win over the Oil. We'll see if that holds after the rest of the night's games are concluded. One thing is for sure: the Wings are moving nicely back into winning form.
Class Dismissed.
