Wings Face Sharks in "Measuring Stick" Game Tonight

The Detroit Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks tonight in the second of four games between the two teams this season. San Jose won the previous meeting 4-2 at home.

The Sharks stand atop the League standings with a remarkable 25-3-3 record through 31 games. They have been playing the game at such a high level that criticisms regarding the influence of their three shootout on their record-breaking start seem weak. Shootout wins or not, this team is the best in the NHL right now and has had one of the best opening stretches in League history.

They are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to Columbus last night and will no doubt be at their best against their coach's former team.

The Wings hold down the #2 spot in the West, but are behind San Jose by nine points. Their record is 20-6-4, but as I wrote Tuesday, that record paints a false picture of how the team is playing. They are certainly suffering from some kind of Cup hangover and have yet to find their stride through 30 games.Despite their largely sub-par defensive play, the wins keep coming. They tie the Rangers for the League lead in most wins in one-goal games with 14, but have had trouble winning games by two goals or more. Their 93 goals-allowed is a fairly appalling statistic for a team known for its defensive prowess. They put the puck in the net with relative regularity, but concerns about their defense remain as fans look ahead to the playoffs.

They are coming off a poorly-played 3-2 loss to a depleted Colorado squad Monday night. Unlike the first meeting between these two teams this season, this time it's a measuring stick for the Wings, not the other way around, as noted by captain Nick Lidstrom.

Ty Conklin will start for the Wings and will be backed up by an injured Chris Osgood. Osgood missed the last two practices due to a groin strain and is backing up tonight apparently only because the Wings are in a sticky cap situation and did not have the space to call up a goalie.

Based on the practice lines today, it looks like the forward corps will return to its former look, with Marian Hossa going back to the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom. Henrik Zetterberg skated between Mikael Samuelsson and Johan Franzen. The return to the former lines could be a sign that Mike Babock is done looking for a manufactured solution to the team's issues in favor of counting on the players to figure it out for themselves.

I said on Tuesday that a bad loss tonight may be what it takes to shock the Wings back to the team game that won them the Cup. That may be true. But as a fan, I'd rather them see this game as a chance to get back on track with a cleansing win. By all rights, this should be a great meeting. I'd hate to see it disappoint because the Wings fail to play as they should.