Red Wings host Blue Jackets Monday night

Ty Conklin to start in net for injured Red Wings

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings remain without All-Star goalie Jimmy Howard.

With backup Joey MacDonald suffering from back spasms, the Red Wings will start Monday night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Ty Conklin in net.

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It's an unusual turn of events for this injury-riddled Red Wings squad since Conklin had lost the backup position to MacDonald when Howard first went out of the lineup with his broken finger. The finger healed, but Howard now has a strained groin.

That's just part of the list of injuries for Detroit. The good news is Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom both are back in the lineup. However, forwards Darren Helm and Johan Franzen are both out. Helm sprained his knee and could miss between 4-6 weeks, and Franzen is out with back spasms.

The Blue Jackets will be turning their focus to the offseason. They are well out of a playoff spot and have taken on a spoiler role as the season comes to a close.

The teams have met four times with the Red Wings winning three of those meetings.

The Wings just snapped a six-game losing streak Saturday night when they topped the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4. It was a dramatic comeback victory for Detroit who were trailing 4-1.

It was Conklin's first win since Jan. 17 in Dallas.

The Wings are still six points behind the first-place St. Louis Blues.

Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

Red Wings vs. Blue Jackets comparison: