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Oilers-Red Wings Preview

Dec 2, 2009 - 11:28 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Edmonton (10-13-4) at Detroit (13-9-4), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Detroit Red Wings finally ended a long scoring drought at Joe Louis Arena. They've had little trouble finding the back of the net there against the Edmonton Oilers in recent years.

After snapping a four-game home losing streak, the Red Wings look to continue their dominance over the Oilers on Thursday night.

Detroit (13-9-4) had gone 116 minutes, 30 seconds without a goal on its home ice before Drew Miller's score at 13:48 of the first period in a 4-1 win over Dallas on Monday night. It was the Red Wings' first goal at Joe Louis since Pavel Datsyuk scored in a 2-1 overtime loss to Florida on Nov. 20.

Todd Bertuzzi notched his fourth goal Monday and first since Nov. 11, a span of nine games.

"I love to score, and when you're not scoring it's not that fun," said Bertuzzi, who added an assist against the Stars.

The veteran right wing had a goal in a 6-5 shootout loss at Edmonton on Oct. 29.

That was the 12th straight game in which the Red Wings earned at least a point against the Oilers, going 7-0-5. Detroit is averaging 4.06 goals while going 11-0-4 during its last 15 home games versus Edmonton.

In the teams' last matchup at Joe Louis, the Red Wings got goals from eight players and three assists from Niklas Kronwall in an 8-3 victory Feb. 7.

Edmonton (10-13-4) is coming off another blowout road loss, 7-3 against Vancouver on Saturday night. The Oilers opened a six-game trip with their third straight defeat and are 4-11-3 after starting 6-2-1.

They have nine regulars missing due to injury or illness and have been particularly hurt by the absences of right wing Ales Hemsky and No. 1 goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.

Hemsky, who had seven goals and 15 assists in 22 games, will miss the rest of the season because of a left shoulder injury that will require surgery. He had already been nursing shoulder problems before being hurt again in a 3-1 loss to Los Angeles on Nov. 25.

Khabibulin is out indefinitely with back spasms, leaving Jeff Deslauriers as the top goalie.

Deslauriers has made six straight starts, the last two on consecutive nights. He didn't last long against the Canucks, getting pulled after allowing four goals on 11 shots.

Devan Dubnyk, a first-round pick in 2004, made his NHL debut in relief, surrendering three goals and making 21 saves.

Colin McDonald got his first NHL goal in his second game Saturday. A second-round pick in 2003, the right wing made his debut in a 5-4 shootout loss to San Jose on Friday night.

Center Gilbert Brule, who has been moved to Edmonton's first line with Hemsky out, had two assists against Vancouver after scoring for the seventh time this season Friday. He's two goals shy of his career high, set in 78 games with Columbus in 2006-07.

Brule was held without a point in 16 games against the Red Wings before posting an assist in the teams' first matchup this season.