DETROIT -- There was little joy in Hockeytown Tuesday, not after Monday night's 5-2 loss in Boston.
"Anybody who's covered the team knows that the sun comes up the next day, that's how I operate," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "When the sun doesn't get up the next day, though, something is wrong. The sun didn't get up today."
Babcock put the Wings through their paces in an intense 35-minute practice at Joe Louis Arena and the message was clear.
"You gotta work," Babcock said. "You gotta compete hard. We gotta box out at our net. We gotta get to their net. We gotta compete. We gotta work. We gotta win some races and battles and if you skate away around the rink, you don't win any games.
"(Monday) night was a disappointment big time, especially the night before since the goalie stole us a game already we didn't really deserve. So when you look at it, we can't seem to get started on the road at all, so that responsibility lies with me but also with our leadership group and our whole room. It's not good enough. It's not good enough to be unprepared to do your job."
The Wings hope to use the Bruins game as a powerful lesson.
"We got it handed to us pretty good," defenseman Kyle Quincey said. "There are a few things you can control and compete level is one of them. Some teams are more skilled than you and other teams maybe have better goaltending or certain nights, but you can compete as hard or harder than the other team. That's what you can control. That was the message today."
The Wings weren't just disappointed with their game in Boston. Although they won in overtime in Ottawa Saturday, they didn't like that they had to make a furious comeback.
"I think no one was happy about how we started the game (Monday) and also how we started the game in Ottawa," captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "I think it's tough to win games in this league if you're having those kind of starts. We have to be better prepared in here and be ready for games and not start playing after 20 minutes or 30 minutes."
The Wings aren't quite sure what the reason is for the slow starts.
"I don't know," defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. "If we knew that we would do it. We're trying. Everyone is preparing themselves before the game. It's not from lack of preparing themselves physically or mentally because everyone is doing more now than in the past when I came here. Now we got a strength coach in here, he takes pride in making us work out, spending just enough time to get us going, stay fresh. We have nothing to blame it on."
ROAD CONCERNS
The slow starts have been more of a problem on the road.
"We've been no good," Babcock said. "We haven't started on time on the road. So how do you spot the other team and come back all the time. The other thing is maybe we're just not fit enough. Well if we're not fit enough, how can we play at the end and not play at the start? So that's a mental thing, that's a preparation thing. No reason for that to happen."
The Wings have been better at home (12-4-6) than on the road (7-5-3) and that's going to be tested a lot in January and February.
After Wednesday night's traditional New Year's Eve home game, the Wings will play 17 of 23 on the road.
"You should focus on playing the same game," Drew Miller said. "You gotta prepare a little bit different, the match-ups will be a little bit different with the home team getting the last change so I think that's the biggest difference. Everyone's got to be able to play against everyone and rely and count on each line and D-pairing to step up."
Zetterberg said they're well aware of what lies ahead and what bad results on the road could do to their playoff aspirations.
At the same time, he said there's no panic.
"I don't think we tried to make that big a deal out of it," Zetterberg said. "You don't want to over-think and over-panic and stuff like that. We know we're good when we do the right stuff. We just gotta go out and execute. I think also when you execute it's easier to be in the right spot and when you're in the right spot, it's easier to work. So it's not just that you have to skate, you have to skate and you have to use your brain, too."
KINDL OUT; OUELLET TO RETURN
Defenseman Jakub Kindl suffered an sprained elbow in practice Sunday.
Kindl skated before practice Tuesday but left when the rest of the team took the ice.
The Wings placed Kindl on short-term injured reserve and recalled Xavier Ouellet from the Grand Rapids (AHL) Griffins.
Ouellet, 21, has one goal and one assist in nine games with the Wings this season.
GUSTAVSSON PRACTICES
Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, out since dislocating his left shoulder Nov. 5 at New York, practiced with the team for the first time Tuesday.
"I've been with the goalie coach and a couple shooters, but this is the first time actually took part in some drills," Gustavsson said. "Even though it was a few shots it was still fun to be part of the team practice for a little bit."
Gustavsson said his shoulder still needs to heal.
"It's not 100 percent range of motion," Gustavsson said. "I feel like I'm getting stronger there, but I don't feel I'm where I want to be with my range of motion yet."
Gustavsson said he's not sure of a timetable for his return.
"I take it day by day, week by week and just try to make it heal," Gustavsson said. "So far it's been getting better. Maybe not day by day, but at least week by week. I know the last part of it is supposed to be the longest, that's when the healing process slows down a little bit. But I feel like it's getting better and staying positive."
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