Jimmy Howard is chomping at the bit to return to action with his first start Saturday in more than a month since he suffered a groin injury.
And Petr Mrazek, who performed so well as Detroit's main goalie in Howard's absence, will spend his 23rd birthday dressed as backup against the revamping Winnipeg Jets -- a better gift than a ticket back to the minors in Grand Rapids, which he was half-expecting.
Howard and Mrazek may be Detroit's goaltending tandem of the future, but it faces an uncertain present until the Red Wings determine what they're going to do with Jonas Gustavsson. He started the season as Howard's backup and played just three games before dislocating his left shoulder. Gustavsson hasn't played in more than three months.
Coach Mike Babcock was to meet with General Manager Ken Holland and goaltending coach Jim Bedard after Friday's practice to discuss their options regarding Mrazek and Gustavsson. Gustavsson can't be sent to the minors without clearing waivers, and the Wings aren't ready yet to give him away like that. Mrazek can be returned to Grand Rapids without going through waivers.
This much is certain, however: Babcock is happy to have his No. 1 goalie healthy again.
"We want him right back at it tomorrow," Babcock said. "He's been a real important player for us -- especially early in the year when he was our best player."
Howard carried his team the first month of the season when goals were hard to come by. Now he's hoping to pick up where he left off on Jan. 10, when he learned he was selected to play in the NHL All-Star game. Barely an hour later, he was carted off the ice on a gurney in the opening minutes of a loss at Washington.
In Mrazek's 11 starts since then, the Wings went 9-2 and rose to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. They remain among its top teams.
"That's huge," Howard said. "I have to thank Petr for that. Now I have to pick up where he left off."
Howard got his first taste of action Wednesday night at Pittsburgh, when the Penguins raced to a 4-0 lead midway through the second period. Howard played the final 20 minutes, facing just four shots in a 4-1 loss.
"That helped," Howard said. "You get a taste of the speed again. You forget what it's like."
The challenge, as always after a long layoff, is following the action from the goal crease.
"Tracking the puck is the biggest thing," he said. "All of a sudden, there's 10 guys out there in front of you."
Howard isn't alone among teammates grateful and impressed by Mrazek's performance the last month or so.
"It proves he can do it," defenseman Nick Kronwall said. "We all thought he was a great goalie, but you never really know it until you go out there. We're where we are in the standings because of him."
Howard and the Wings will face a determined Winnipeg club that underwent a makeover this week after a blockbuster, seven-player deal. The Jets acquired hulking right-shot defenseman Tyler Myers, the former NHL Rookie of the Year whose play has regressed since then, right wing Drew Stafford and two prospects, sending talented but disenchanted left wing Evander Kane and two other players to the Buffalo Sabres.
"From the outside looking in, they've been revamping themselves for a long time," Babcock said, praising Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff for his patience and deliberation in building a formidable club. Suddenly, the Wings' coach added, Winnipeg has "the best right-handed back end (defense) in hockey."
Myers is a right-shot defenseman often linked to Detroit in trade rumors. Babcock has made adding a right-shot defenseman a priority -- and the Wings may have found one in their own system with the addition of Alexey Marchenko, who has impressed coaches and teammates in the four games since his recall from Grand Rapids.
The Jets, meantime, are in a dogfight for a playoff berth. On Friday, they ranked fifth in the Western Conference with 66 points, leading a group of six teams separated by just six points.
"They've had a makeover the last few weeks, but they've always been a tenacious team," Howard said. "They're a fast team, and they're very physical. We've got to be on top of our game right from the start."
