DETROIT RED WINGS HOCKEY

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AP PhotoTomas Holmstrom congratulates goalie Ty Conklin after beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-0. Holmstrom did not practice Friday and will not play Saturday against the Flames, coach Mike Babcock said.

Update from Friday's practice in Calgary: Tomas Holmstrom did not practice, still bothered by back spasms, and coach Mike Babcock said he will not play Saturday against the Flames. Tomas Kopecky takes his place on the top line. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall practiced and said his twisted right ankle feels much better. He will return to the lineup.

Babcock said the team is not calling up anyone from Grand Rapids. Defenseman Derek Meech will move up to forward, where he played a few games last season. Babcock said Ty Conklin will start in Calgary and Chris Osgood will start Monday in Vancouver.

AP PhotoDetroit's Jiri Hudler celebrates one of his two goals against Edmonton on Thursday night.

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Opportunity came when Tomas Kopecky least expected it. And he took full advantage of it.

Needing a net-front presence for their first power-play unit after Tomas Holmstrom experienced back spasms during the pregame warm-ups Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings turned to Kopecky. The fourth-line forward responded with his first career power-play goal in a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place.

"When you're thinking about who to put there, you can put Fil (Valtteri Filppula) there, but he's not a guy at the net. Kopy is,'' Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "(Kopecky) works real hard at it and he's kind of been building his confidence. He made a major contribution tonight, he's got to feel good about himself.''

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Detroit Red Wings shortened their bench Thursday, but it wasn't by design.

The club dressed only 19 players, one less than a full complement, in its 4-3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers. This was because defenseman Niklas Kronwall has been bothered by a sore ankle and forward Tomas Holmstrom came down with back spasms during the pregame warmups.

Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios spoke to WDFN's Stoney and Wojo on Thursday where he admitted the Red Wings' 7-6 overtime loss to Pittsburgh served as the ultimate "wakeup call."

Quick pregame update: Tomas Holmstrom and Niklas Kronwall were scratched before the game Thursday in Edmonton. Kronwall skated Thursday morning but has been bothered by a sore ankle from Monday's game. Holmstrom, who took the pregame warmups, is experiencing back spasms. Both are listed as day-to-day. Derek Meech replaced Kronwall. The Wings are playing with 11 forwards, dressing only 19 players.

AP File PhotoWith a couple more wins, Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood will catch his childhood idol: Andy Moog, goalie during the Edmonton Oilers dynasty in the 1980s.

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Growing up in Alberta in the 1980s, Chris Osgood watched Andy Moog rack up a lot of wins at the arena formerly known as the Northlands Coliseum in the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty days.

Osgood also attended hockey schools where Moog taught the finer aspects of goaltending.

He became a huge Moog fan. And now, Osgood is on the verge of catching his idol on the NHL's career list for victories.

Osgood looks to move a step closer to Moog, but more importantly, he hopes to snap out of a season-long funk, especially when the Detroit Red Wings face the Oilers tonight at Rexall Place, in the same building Moog played most of his games.

Red Wings forward Darren McCarty cleared waivers today, the club said. It was the second time this season he has gone unclaimed on waivers. He will, however, remain with the team for now and is expected to play Thursday in Edmonton.

The move gives the team the ability to send McCarty to Grand Rapids without having to wait for the 24-hour waiver process in case it needs to immediately recall a goalie due to injury.

AP File PhotoThe return of defenseman Nicklas Kronwall's crushing hits have had a ripple effect on his Red Wings teammates.

DETROIT -- After unleashing a huge open-ice hit almost on a nightly basis in the playoffs, it has taken a while for Niklas Kronwall to rev up his physical play.

Lately, he has stepped up in the neutral zone, jarring opponents. And that has helped the Detroit Red Wings defenseman pick up his overall play after a slow start.

"Those two games (in Tampa and Florida last week) were pretty much the first open-ice hits I've had all year," Kronwall said. "I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable. I struggled a little bit in the beginning of the year, but hopefully now I can keep improving my game. It needs to get better."

AP PhotoForward Darren McCarty must clear waivers by noon Wednesday to return to the Red Wings.

The Red Wings placed forward Darren McCarty on waivers today, but he will remain on the roster if he's not claimed by noon Wednesday, general manager Ken Holland said. The team is not recalling anybody from Grand Rapids.

McCarty also cleared waivers last month. He needs to clear every month, or after every 10 games (Monday was his 10th game), in order for the club to be able to send him down immediately in case they need to recall a goalie in a pinch, should Chris Osgood or Ty Conklin sustain a short-term injury or illness.

AP PhotoRed Wings goalie Ty Conklin, left, stops the shot of Edmonton's Ales Hemsky (83) as Detroit's Nicklas Lindstrom defends.

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings have been waiting all season for a complete, 60-minute team effort at home.

They finally got it Monday night.

Goaltender Ty Conklin stopped all 21 shots he faced to record the Red Wings' first shutout of the season in a 4-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Joe Louis Arena.