PREVIEW: Red Wings expect intensity to ramp up Thursday against Blues

DETROIT -- Outside of a few lapses, head coach Derek Lalonde liked what he saw from the Detroit Red Wings in their 3-2 shootout win at St. Louis on Tuesday.

But when the Red Wings welcome the Blues to Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night to conclude a home-and-home set, Lalonde knows his team must elevate their game on home ice.
"I think that was a very sub-par performance from St. Louis from where they've been playing as of late," Lalonde said. "I expect them to be much better. Our game will have to ramp up to sweep the (season) series."
Puck drop between Detroit (31-30-9; 71 points) and St. Louis (31-33-6; 68 points) is set for 7 p.m., with broadcast coverage on Bally Sports Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

Goalie Magnus Hellberg turned aside 20-of-22 shots in Tuesday's victory for the Red Wings, who improved to 29-5-6 when leading or tied after two periods this season.
"I think we played a pretty solid game," said Gustav Lindstrom, who returned to Detroit's lineup after being sidelined for two games due to an undisclosed injury. "We didn't really give up many good chances. I think our defensive game was good."
When speaking to the approach the Red Wings want to implement in the final few weeks of the season, Lindstrom said it is important to stay even keeled.

"Even with the stretch there, where we had multiple wins in a row, we didn't get too high," Lindstrom said. "We've never been too low either. We talk a lot about how we play. Of course, we wanna win. But if we play well, we're gonna win more games in the long run."
With 12 games remaining in the regular season, Detroit currently trails the Pittsburgh Penguins by nine points for the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
"We want to keep going," Lindstrom said. "Keep winning as many games as possible and improve the small details. Those are individual details and details we have as a team."

Red Wings recall Nedeljkovic from Grand Rapids

On Thursday morning, the Red Wings recalled Alex Nedeljkovic from the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions.
Nedeljkovic has appeared in nine games for Detroit this season, posting a 2-4-2 record with a 4.09 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage. The 27-year-old netminder has also played 26 games with the Griffins, and holds a 13-9-3 record with a 2.71 GAA.
After Thursday's morning skate, Lalonde said Ville Husso is dealing with a lower-body injury "of late" and will not be available against the Blues.
"He will be an evaluation base here for a couple days," Lalonde said about Husso. "We'll see where we go forward with it."
As a result, Hellberg will make his second straight start for Detroit.
"It's nice to keep the flow going when you're not in as much," Hellberg said. "You're battling a little bit to find your groove. I'm happy for the opportunity to go back-to-back."