DETROIT -- If the Flyers think they might have an easier time against the Red Wings on Wednesday because Henrik Zetterberg has a herniated disk in his back and Pavel Datsyuk is still concussed, they are mistaken.
The Wings are 4-0 without Datsyuk. General manager Ken Holland announced Tuesday that Zetterberg will miss at least two weeks.
And while the Wings are a poor 5-4-6 at The Joe this season, they have won their last three on home ice.
“Detroit is playing well lately at home, playing a lot better,” Flyers coach Craig Berube said. “They’re skating well. It will be a tough game. They skate well, they come at you.
“We’re going to have to be sharp in moving the puck, going to have to have our legs moving right away going into the game.”
That’s because the Wings remain one of the better clubs in the league off transition.
The Flyers gave them a good game here -- for two periods -- back in October before collapsing, 5-2. Berube’s club dominated five-on-five play that night, but the Flyers' penalty-kill units were burned for three power-play goals as they took seven penalties.
That was the difference. Berube said he’s already addressed that situation for this game.
“They have a good power play,” he said. “We certainly can’t go in the box five or six times. It puts you in a bad situation. Their skill level on the power play is such that their chances of scoring are pretty good.”
The Wings rank seventh in the NHL in power play at 21.4 percent.
“From a standpoint of system-wise, there are certain things to watch for, but you still have to go out and do the job and kill the penalty,” Berube said. “Do the little things like win faceoffs, get pucks down the ice, do a good job up ice.”
Lecavalier questionable
Vinny Lecavalier’s back spasms were so bad Monday night, he literally could not bend down to pick up his coat off the bench in the dressing room. He missed practice Tuesday. Berube said he is questionable for the game.
Timonen off
Berube gave Kimmo Timonen a maintenance day off the ice.
“He’s been playing some long minutes lately,” Berube said.
The 38-year-old defenseman logged 18:36 in the 2-0 loss in Minnesota but played 29:18 in Nashville after playing 24:17 the day before against Winnipeg.