DETROIT -- The Red Wings may have caught a break with the injury gods on Tuesday.
Top defenseman Niklas Kronwall left the game after taking a hit from Buffalo's Tyler Ennis at 6:37 of the second period and did not return.
After the game, Wings general manager Ken Holland said that Kronwall was a little dazed after the hit and is listed as day to day, but he expects Kronwall to be able to play Saturday in Toronto.
Kronwall was missed during the game as the Wings were left with five defensemen.
"It was huge for us," defenseman Danny DeKeyser said. "Kronner, he's our anchor back there for us. With five D after that we just rotated, took quick shifts and changed when we needed to and tried not to get stuck out there too long so your legs don't get tired."
At 7:57 of the third, Stephen Weiss, who had just returned after missing four games with a shoulder injury, was hit by Buffalo's Nikita Zadorov.
Weiss crumpled to the ice and had to be helped off by Jonathan Ericsson and trainer Piet Van Zant.
"I didn't really see him," Weiss said. "Couldn't tell you what happened, the hit. I was a little woozy there but I feel fine now."
Wings coach Mike Babcock wasn't too thrilled with the hits.
"I have a hard time with that, to me those are two hits to the head, those are easy calls for me, but tripping is a bigger deal or something," Babcock said. "I don't get that. Whatever."
Weiss said he should be good to go Saturday.
"Definitely got my bell rung, no doubt about it," Weiss said. "But I feel fine now. Just had to go through the protocols and stuff. Nice to hear the buzzer go off a few times while I was in there. That made it a little bit easier."
Weiss scored the Wings' first goal, when he tipped Jakub Kindl's shot past Buffalo goaltender Michal Neuvirth on the power play.
Weiss has five goals and six assists in 12 games this season.
"When he's been playing this year he's been really productive and we're really happy to see that," captain Henrik Zetterberg said.
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