DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings will welcome the Philadelphia Flyers to Joe Louis Arena at 8 p.m. Wednesday night.
It's the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The first was Oct. 12 in Detroit when the Red Wings won 5-2.
Since that game, the Red Wings have fought to stay in the top three spots of the Atlantic Division while the Flyers have battled to stay out of the basement. Detroit is tied for 3rd place (35 points) in the Atlantic while Philly is in 6th (26 points) in the Metropolitan Division.
The Flyers have enjoyed more success as of late, winning 6 of their past 10 games. They dropped a close one Monday night on the road in Minnesota where the Wild shut them out, 2-0. Wild goalie Josh Harding made 21 saves.
Vincent Lecavalier has 14 points this season despite missing several games due to injury. Claude Giroux leads the team with 18 points. Steve Mason (9-8) will be between the pipes. He has been strong all year for the Flyers with a 2.09 GAA and .934 save percentage.
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Mich.
TV/Radio: NBCSN/AM1270
The Red Wings are enjoying a 4-game winning streak but now find themselves with some injury trouble. Pavel Datsyuk (concussion) and Henrik Zetterberg (herniated disc) are both out of the lineup while young defenseman Danny DeKeyser (separated shoulder) is not expected to return for at least a few more weeks.
Veteran forward Todd Bertuzzi also remains out with a shoulder injury. He has missed the past five games.
Story: Zetterberg to miss 2 weeks with back injury
Meanwhile, center Darren Helm, who has been given a bigger role due to the injuries, continues to provide strong two-way play for the Wings. He has notched 7 goals and 3 assists since his return to the lineup on Nov. 1 in Edmonton.
Jimmy Howard is set to start between the pipes Wednesday night after getting the rest Sunday in Ottawa where Jonas Gustavsson earned the win over the Senators, 4-2. Gustavsson (7-0-1) is undefeated when getting the start this season. Howard (6-7-6) got the shutout Friday night on the road against the New York Islanders.
Cory Emmerton will be in the lineup against the Flyers after being called up from Grand Rapids on Tuesday. Emmerton likely will center a line with Dan Cleary and Mikael Samuelson, according to NBC Sports.