-- Jimmy Howard practiced with the Red Wings Saturday morning at City Arena. (So You Think You Can Dance was using Joe Louis Arena.) Coach Mike Babcock said that Howard remains temporarily with the team despite having been assigned to Grand Rapids because of league rules. I'll try to get clarification on that from Ken Holland later. Howard said that he didn't know when he'd be going down to Grand Rapids, but the call should come soon.
Babcock said that Dominik Hasek (hip) will definitely be ready for Wednesday's home game. Hasek and Chris Osgood took all the reps in net during practice with Howard just working on agility drills.
"Howard's just with us because of the rules or something," said Babcock. "Neither goalie would let him in the net this morning, so that's a good sign. He'll be out of here shortly. I don't know what the rules are. We'll get him down as quickly as we can."
-- Johan Franzen (facial laceration) skated and said that he'd be in the lineup Wednesday. Franzen will play on the second line with Valtteri Filppula at center and Mikael Samuelsson on the other wing. Jiri Hudler worked in with that line at practice, but Babcock plans on moving Hudler to the fourth line.
"It's going to be Franzen, Fil and Sammy. Huds might play up there some time," said Babcock. "Huds is going to be on our second power play and he's going to play with whoever (at even strength). That's how I perceive things coming. That's how I saw things at the start."
Not sure which start he's talking about. At the start of training camp and the regular season, the plan was a second line of Hudler, Zetterberg and Samuelsson and a first line of Franzen, Datsyuk and Holmstrom. Obviously the success of the team with Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Holmstrom as a unit has changed those plans.
"It will be with whoever else is in that fourth unit or with those guys (second line)," said Babcock. "The thing about it is after penalty killing and power plays, it all moves around anyhow."
-- Niklas Kronwall (groin) skated and said he'd be fine for Wednesday.
-- Line combinations from practice ...
Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom
Franzen-Filppula-Samuelsson/Hudler
Cleary-Draper-Maltby
Drake-Ellis-Downey/Kopecky
Lidstrom-Rafalski
Lilja-Chelios
Kronwall-Lebda
Meech
Hasek
Osgood