Top Spot Up for Grabs in the West; Detroit @ Columbus Game Preview

I have a very vague memory of the last time Detroit lost a game 5-1. It was about this time last year, I was blind drunk at the Madison Ave Pub in downtown Toronto, in my Yzerman jersey watching the Wings get destroyed by the Leafs. As shocked as I was at the ineptitude displayed the Detroit on that night, even more shocked was I when I witnessed the next game:

Detroit 9 @ Columbus 1

Interesting...

Am I being over-zealous in my pursuit to find some positives from the debacle in Atlanta? Probably, but I guess the point I'm really trying to make is that when they get smashed this team responds. Such is the command Mike Babcock has on them.

But while Detroit's team tonight will be significantly better than the one that walloped the BJs last year, the Jackets have improved their fair share too.

One important stat that sums up the challenge this game should be:

Pts%
Detroit - .737%, 1st NHL
Columbus - .700%, 2nd NHL

Columbus have been on fire of late winning their last five games for their best start in franchise history. A huge part of their record-setting takeoff has been on the road. Columbus has gone an incredible 8-1-0 so far. To juxtapose this stat and make it even more unbelievable, in 2009/10 the BJ's won the grand total of 12 games! They already have 67% of their total wins from 09/10 in just 9 GP.

Luckily for Detroit, this game will be at the Nationwide Arena where Scott Arniel's team have looked more human, going 6-5-0. If however, Columbus are able to please the home crowd and improve their modest record tonight, they will leapfrog the Wings for top spot in the West. I'm not sure if Columbus has been there ever, let alone at this point in the season.

For the Wings, Jiri Hudler returns to the line-up as Drew Miller is the rotated scratch tonight.