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Red Wings hope to get back on track

Feb 26, 2008 - 2:17 PM Detroit (42-17-5) at Edmonton (28-30-5) 9:00 pm EST

EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) - The Detroit Red Wings lead in the Western Conference is shrinking.

The Red Wings will try to snap out of their worst drought of the season when they visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

Detroit has been dominating the NHL from the moment the first puck was dropped this season, but the past nine games have brought the club back to the pack.

The Red Wings appeared well on their way to finishing atop the Western Conference, but they have gone 1-7-1 over the last nine games and their once-lengthy lead is down to six points over the Dallas Stars (39-22-5, 83 points).

The offense, once the strong suit of the club, has struggled as of late. Detroit leads the West with 200 goals scored this season, but has managed just 11 in its last eight losses.

Top scorer Henrik Zetterberg has just three points in the last six games, and linemate Tomas Holmstrom has just two points in his last 10 games.

Another major problem facing Detroit - the team's defensive corps is in shambles after losing several key players to injury.

Captain Nicklas Lidstrom is out for the next two weeks with a knee injury and fellow blue-liners Chris Chelios (foot), Niklas Kronwall (collarbone) and Brian Rafalski (groin) also have been on the shelf.

The Oilers are coming off a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, snapping a three-game losing streak. Sam Gagner, Curtis Glencross and Andrew Cogliano each tallied for Edmonton.

Despite the win, the Oilers are enduring their second consecutive losing season and will likely miss they playoffs. They are currently second-to-last in the West with just 61 points, ahead of only the Los Angeles Kings (26-34-4, 56 points).

The Wings are 2-0-1 against Edmonton this season, and Zetterberg has three goals in the meetings. They have not met since December 13.