DETROIT -- The one good thing about trying to get off to a quick start Friday is the Detroit Red Wings will be motivated, as they always are against their former division rival.
"We know who we're playing and they're a good team," coach Mike Babcock said. "They must be. Our fans bought all the tickets. I can't get tickets. Must be an important game."
Now that the Wings are in the Eastern Conference, they only play the Blackhawks twice a season.
"Those were the fun games," defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. "We'll find new competitors and rivals in the East, but I sure miss playing these guys. It's always special. It's a fast game always. It's a game with a lot of battles in it. There's a rivalry.
"If I would say one team I miss the most from the West, it's Chicago."
Rivalries are forged in the playoffs and it wasn't that long ago that the Wings and the Blackhawks played a seven-game series that went to overtime in the final game.
"It goes off Kronner's (Niklas Kronwall's) skate and finds a way in," defenseman Brendan Smith said. "It's definitely frustrating. I thought we played really well. That year a lot of people ruled us out way before we even started the playoffs. It sucks we couldn't finish off that one. It's all good, but it's tough to swallow still.
"I would love to play them as many times as possible. I love playing in Chicago and I love playing them at home."
The Wings visit the Blackhawks Feb. 18.
"Fun team to play against, good speed, a lot of skilled players," forward Gustav Nyquist said. "They want to play an offensive type of hockey. They move the puck well and their whole team skates real well, so it's going to be a good match-up for us, a good measuring stick. We think we're a fast team this year, too, so it's going to be fun with two teams with a lot of speed."
Playing the Blackhawks isn't always as fun for a goaltender, but Jimmy Howard welcomes the challenge.
"Their goal differential is pretty substantial," Howard said. "They can put the puck in the net. They play a puck possession game, they can roll four lines, they got great defensemen, and they got a great goalie in (Corey) Crawford, so it's going to be a tall task for us."
The Blackhawks have scored 44 goals but allowed just 30. The Wings have scored 40 and allowed 37.
