Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings

7:30 TONIGHT

JOE LOUIS ARENA

TV: Fox Sports Net

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460), WWCD-FM (101.1)

The series

The Blue Jackets are 11-26-8 against the Red Wings, including 5-15-2 in Joe Louis Arena. This is the first of six meetings with Detroit.

The setup

The Blue Jackets had a competitive, yet bizarre series with the Red Wings last season and it often ended with Columbus players getting injured. There were two spectacular Jacket-on-Jacket collisions, and Dan Fritsche had his Columbus career ended by a broken hand in a loss in Detroit. The Wings have been great on the road this season (10-1-2) and average at home (4-2-2).

-- Tom Reed

treed@dispatch.com

Columbus Blue Jackets at a glance

• Past 10 games: 5-3-2

• Power play (NHL rank): 10.8 percent (30th/last)

• Penalty killing (NHL rank): 80.2 percent (22nd)

• Player to watch: G Pascal Leclaire tries to bounce back from a 7-2 drubbing against Edmonton on Nov. 18.

• Injury update: F Derek Dorsett (broken finger), Rostislav Klesla (ankle sprain) out.

Detroit Red Wings at a glance

• Past 10 games: 7-2-1

• Power play (NHL rank): 31.8 percent (1st)

• Penalty killing (NHL rank): 80.4 percent (21st)

• Player to watch: F Marian Hossa adds to an already potent lineup. Hossa leads the Wings in scoring.

• Injury update: F Dan Cleary (eye) possible; D Chris Chelios (tibia), Tomas Holmstrom (back) out.