In the first of four games remaining on the Red Wings' schedule, Detroit is behind the Florida Panthers 1-0 on the scoreboard after one period at Joe Louis Arena.
The Wings, who have been on a monumental slide over the last month and have dropped to third place in the Central Division, are still tied for the fourth-most points in the Western Conference heading into the playoffs.
For Florida, Panthers forward Tomas Fleischmann buried a one-timer with 2:22 remaining in the period to open the scoring for his 26th goal of the season. The Panthers also hold a slight 10 to 7 edge in shots after the first 20 minutes of action.
Despite being unable to find the net, Detroit killed off two Florida power plays (and eventually a third) early in the period before eventually yielding the first goal. Goalie Jimmy Howard is playing in his second game back from injury after stopping 23 shots in a loss on Friday night, and needs to shake off the rust quickly to inspire confidence in a deep Red Wings run in the postseason.
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