Ducks-Red Wings Preview

The Detroit Red Wings haven't been tallying too many goals lately but got just enough scoring to edge the Anaheim Ducks earlier this month.

The Red Wings will try to send the Ducks to another defeat while snapping a season-high home losing streak Saturday night.

Detroit (24-15-8) has scored 15 goals in its last eight games and was 1-2-1 over four contests before a 3-0 win in Buffalo on Friday. The Red Wings didn't get on the scoreboard until 7:59 remaining when Dylan Larkin found the net.

Henrik Zetterberg and Luke Glendening followed as Detroit outshot the Sabres 45-19.

"The one thing with the lack of scoring is we really can't afford any mistakes," said coach Jeff Blashill, whose team has dropped four straight at home. "A game like this where I thought we were carrying large parts of the play, if a goalie makes a mistake, all of the sudden, the momentum changes."

Riley Sheahan was the hero in a 2-1 win in Anaheim on Jan. 10, scoring with 3:44 left. Petr Mrazek, who got the shutout Friday, stopped 30 shots as Detroit ended a four-game skid against the Ducks.

With the Wings playing back-to-back nights, Jimmy Howard might be in net. He's 0-2-3 with a 3.63 goals-against average in his last six appearances while Mrazek is 6-1-1 with a 1.24 GAA in his last eight.

Howard gave up three goals while losing each of his two starts against Anaheim last season.

If he starts, Howard will face a Ducks team that's on an abbreviated road trip after Friday's game in Washington was postponed because of a severe snowstorm. Anaheim (20-18-7) went 3-1-0 in its final half of its eight-game homestand, topping Minnesota 3-1 on Wednesday.

John Gibson stopped 25 shots and Rickard Rakell scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:19 left.

"It's definitely big to finish off a homestand like that, especially getting some momentum going into the road trip," defenseman Shea Theodore said.

The Ducks are averaging a league-worst 1.98 goals but have totaled 13 in four games since losing to Detroit. They've outscored the Red Wings 13-6 in a three-game win streak at Joe Louis Arena in the regular season, and captain Ryan Getzlaf found the net with 24 seconds left in a 3-2 victory in the most recent visit Oct. 11, 2014.

Gibson was in net for Anaheim in the Jan. 10 loss, and the Ducks have Frederik Andersen as an option after he returned from a one-game absence due to an ailing back Wednesday. Andersen started their latest game in Detroit, making 27 saves in his only matchup with the Red Wings.

Both teams have shined on the penalty kill of late with the Ducks going 35 for 37 in their last 11 games. Detroit is 19 for 22 in its last eight but is 3 for 22 on the power play in that span.

The Ducks are 9 for 30 with a man advantage in their past 12 contests.

Ryan Garbutt could make his debut for Anaheim after being acquired from Chicago for Jiri Sekac on Thursday.