DETROIT -- Sometimes it's not so much the plays that are made during a game as the ones that are not.
For the Red Wings, it's easy to think about what the power play might have looked like had injured captain Nick Lidstrom (ankle) and Pavel Datsyuk (knee) been able to play against the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday afternoon.
As it was, the Wings had four man-advantage opportunities but could not convert on any in the 2-1 loss to a team ranked 27th on the penalty kill.
"Obviously, we didn’t score, so it wasn’t good enough," said Niklas Kronwall, who had the Wings' only goal. "I think we did some good things, but we have to find a way to get the puck into the net. We had some opportunities, we had some power plays, we just couldn’t get the job done."
It certainly didn't help matters to lose starting goaltender Jimmy Howard after one period due to a "lower-body injury" and defenseman Jakub Kindl after two shifts with an "upper-body injury."
"We knew he (Kindl) was a bit sore (coming in)," coach Mike Babcock said. "We should have called someone up, I guess, in hindsight. Hindsight's great. It doesn't do you much good. Then Howie's got a lower body injury and left the game and so he'll be evaluated and we'll go from there."
Joey MacDonald found out about four or five minutes into intermission that he would be playing the rest of the way.
"As a backup goalie, you gotta be prepared all the time," said MacDonald, who had 12 saves in the loss. "I thought we did a pretty good job defensively to limit their chances and they got a good team over there.
"They've got a lot of talent and when they get their chances, they're going to create. On the other hand, I thought we did a great job defensively, not giving them a lot."
The Wings managed to hold the Blackhawks to 18 shots, well below their 31.6 average. But the Blackhawks did the same to the Wings, keeping them to 24 shots, below their 32.6 average.
The Blackhawks were also without their captain, Jonathan Toews, who has an "upper-body injury" but the Wings were far more depleted.
"We weren't complaining," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.
Although the Vancouver Canucks have taken over first place in the Western Conference with 90 points, one ahead of the Wings, the Wings aren't worried -- yet.
"We've still got a lot of hockey left," MacDonald said. "You can get a close glance at it (standings) and don't worry about things. I know we've got some injuries here but you know what? Better to get those injuries now and go on."
Howard said he would have to wait and see how he felt Monday before seeing whether he might be available Tuesday in Philadelphia.
"I don't know how it happened," Howard said. "As the period went on, the injury just got tighter and tighter. It's no fun, especially when you're feeling good in there, coming off a good game the other night. It's tough."
It might not get any easier in the short term for the Wings.
Lidstrom, who made an odd sight sitting in the press box during the game, said he tried his skate on again in the dressing room Sunday but his ankle was still pretty sore. Kindl's status is unknown and Todd Bertuzzi played despite a sore groin.
Datsyuk skated by himself before the game but the Wings don't know when he'll be ready to play either.
After the Flyers, the Wings face the Los Angeles Kings at home, then head out on their last major road trip of the regular season to Nashville, Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose.
"We got to just keep going out there and battling for points every single night," Howard said. "It doesn't matter who we're up against. We have to find a way to generate a little more and get two points."
