Red Wings begin grueling end to season with back-to-backs in Florida

Detroit will play 12 final games within 21-day period

This isn't spring training. It's far from it.

The Detroit Red Wings will begin a grueling end to the regular season this week with back-to-back games in Florida. Then they'll play their final 12 games within 21 days. That's a game every other day with a couple back-to-backs thrown in.

It starts Thursday night in Florida against the Panthers, a team clinging to dwindling playoff hopes. The Panthers are six points behind the 8th-spot Boston Bruins with just a dozen games left on their schedule.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS-D (Detroit), FS-F (Florida)

Goalie Roberto Luongo is expected to return from a shoulder injury Thursday night to start his first game since March 3. The veteran netminder and his Panthers are 2-1 against the Red Wings this season. They lost a close one (3-2) Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens despite outshooting Montreal 43-25. All-Star Carey Price wasn't in net, either. Price was relieved for the night by Dustin Tokarski, who was sensational with 41 saves.

For Detroit, rookie goalie Petr Mrazek is set to make his second-straight start. He stopped 42 of 43 shots Sunday in the Red Wings' 5-1 win over Pittsburgh. He is 1-0 against the Panthers this season.

That means Jimmy Howard likely will get the start Friday night against Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Howard is 1-3 in his past four starts. He and the Red Wings were slumping (1-4 in five games) before Sunday's win, which was preceded by a dismal 7-2 loss in Philadelphia on Saturday. They'll have to be sharp defensively against Stamkos who had a 3-point night (2G, 1A) Monday in a 4-2 win over Price and the Canadiens.

The Red Wings (87 points) are chasing both Montreal (95 points) and Tampa (93 points) for the top spot in the Atlantic Division with two games in hand on both. After Friday, the Wings will have another shot at the Lightning at home on March 28 and they'll visit the Canadiens on April 9. Mark your calendar for those games.

The Red Wings will have a day off Saturday to travel back to Detroit for a meeting at noon (on NBC) with the St. Louis Blues – when the schedule gauntlet really gets underway.

View: Red Wings' remaining schedule

Red Wings notes:

Pavel Datsyuk (lower body injury) won't make the trip to Florida. Coach Mike Babcock told reporters Wednesday his star center will have to miss a couple games, at least, due to the injury.

Detroit forward Darren Helm could be back during the Florida trip after missing the past seven games due to injury. Helm has 29 points (13G, 16A) in 61 games this season and a +8 rating.

Johan Franzen remains out of the lineup with concussion symptoms. He hasn't played since Jan. 6.

Goalie Jonas Gustavsson is still out with his own injury.

Veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky has 7 points, including 3 power play goals, in 7 games since joining the Red Wings at the trade deadline.

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