Inside Shots

The Red Wings pride themselves on having some of the best special teams in the NHL. Their penalty killing, however, hasn’t been nearly as strong as usual, and certainly has not been in the same category as their dominant power play.

Lately, though, they’re showing signs of clamping down while short-handed. The Wings have allowed only two power-play goals in their last six games, killing 25 of 27 penalties, as they embark on a three-game Western Canada road trip that begins Thursday at Edmonton.

The Wings were ranked 14th in the league in penalty killing before Monday’s 4-0 victory over Edmonton and killed all five Oilers power plays. Part of their problem has been their lack of discipline while short a man—they’ve taken several penalties that have left them two men short and already have allowed six 5-on-3 power-play goals.

One of the reasons for their improvement has been their ability to win faceoffs at the start of the penalty kill. The new rule that automatically puts faceoffs in the shorthanded team’s zone at the start of a power play had caused some problems for the Wings.

“This faceoff in your own zone—unbelievable for the power play,” coach Mike Babcock said. “You’re penalty killing, you’re always starting behind the 8-ball. I think it’s really helping the offense.”

Red Wings 4, Oilers 0:   It was easily the Wings’ best defensive effort of the season as they limited Edmonton’s shots (21) and scoring chances. The Wings focused on being sharper at home, where they’ve been sloppy defensively, for the most part, committing turnovers and getting caught out of position in their own zone.

This time, they limited their giveaways by making smarter decisions with the puck, getting it out of their end quickly and dumping it in deep in the offensive zone rather than risk a turnover in the neutral zone.

Notes, Quotes

• G Ty Conklin, whose wife delivered the couple’s third child Saturday, made 21 saves Monday for his first shutout as a Wing. He earned a second consecutive start because Chris Osgood hasn’t been sharp lately. Conklin, making his first home appearance, raised his record to 5-1.

• RW Jiri Hudler does not get as much ice time as the team’s top six forwards, but he continues to maximize his minutes. He picked up a goal and an assist to continue a hot streak that has seen him tally 14 points in his last 13 games, after failing to register a point in his first four games.

Quote To Note:   “We played an outstanding game—I don’t know if we played a better game this year. We were fantastic killing penalties, killed a big 5-on-3 early and carried that momentum through the rest of the game.”—Red Wings goaltender Ty Conklin.

Roster Report

Goaltenders:   Ty Conklin, Chris Osgood.

Defensemen:   Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart, Andreas Lilja, Brett Lebda.

First Line:   Tomas Holmstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa.

Second Line:   Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson.

Third Line:   Jiri Hudler, Valtteri Filppula, Tomas Kopecky.

Fourth Line:   Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Darren McCarty.

Player Notes:  

• RW Marian Hossa had a strong two-way game, but it didn’t show on the stat sheet, as his four-game points streak was snapped. Hossa, the team’s best player night in and night out, has points in 14 of 17 games this season.

• LW Johan Franzen has a goal in four straight games since returning from a five-game absence with a sprained knee. He has 37 goals in his last 44 games, including the playoffs, dating to last season. He continues to be hard to handle around the net with his size, strength and excellent hands.

• D Brett Lebda has played much better since he sat out three games as a healthy scratch. He picked up an assist for his first point of the season and has done a better job of moving his feet and managing the puck in the three games since his return to the lineup.

Medical Watch:  

• LW Dan Cleary has missed four games with a painful left eye infection that has impaired his vision. He will not accompany the team on its upcoming three-game trip to western Canada. He hopes to resumes skating on his own this week and return to the lineup in a week to 10 days.

• D Chris Chelios sustained a fractured right tibia during a preseason game on Sept. 30 and is expected to be out until late this month.