By AP
DETROIT – Red Wings coach Mike Babcock says he likes how well his team played in going from being on the bubble of making the NHL playoffs to earning the fifth seed in the Western
Conference.
Babcock also knows just rising in the standings won't help Detroit get past the fourth-seeded Phoenix Coyotes in the first round.
Detroit has recalled forwards Justin Abdelkader and Brad May from its AHL team in Grand Rapids, but Babcock says neither player will be in the lineup at Phoenix. He doesn't want to juggle his lineup because it has been tough to beat.
The Red Wings are an NHL-best 16-3-2 since the Vancouver Games.
That run put the storied franchise in the playoffs for the 19th straight time, extending the longest streak in sports.