The Detroit Red Wings will try to reclaim first place in the Western Conference on Tuesday when they head to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers.
Not long ago Detroit led the Western Conference (and NHL) in points, but a little cold spell -- Detroit has dropped four of its last six -- has dropped the Wings to fourth.
That's not to say Detroit is in a freefall. The Red Wings have 89 points, which is just one point behind first-place Vancouver (90 points) and is tied with second-place St. Louis. Third-place Dallas only has 75 points, but are third by virtue of leading the Pacific Division.
With injuries mounting, Detroit has summoned three players from AHL Grand Rapids, and each is expected to dress Tuesday against Philly. The new faces will be defenseman Doug Janik, forward Chris Conner and goaltender Jordan Pearce. Pavel Datsyuk (knee), Nicklas Lidstrom (ankle), Jimmy Howard (groin), Todd Bertuzzi (groin) and a few others are out.
This is the second (and final) game between these teams on the season. The Red Wings won 4-3 in Detroit back on Feb. 12 thanks to a third-period goal from Johan Franzen.
The Flyers will be going for their first three-game winning streak since December.
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