7 tonight, Nationwide Arena

• TV: Fox Sports Net

• Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

The series

The Blue Jackets are 11-28-1-7 against Detroit, including 6-11-1-5 in Nationwide Arena. This is the third of six meetings this season. Detroit won the first two.

The setup

The Red Wings are appealing the NHL's decision to force center Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom out of tonight's game as punishment for missing the All-Star Game because of injuries. The Blue Jackets are 4-3-1 at home vs. Detroit the past two seasons. The Wings have outshot Columbus 75-39 in the two meetings this season.

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Columbus Blue Jackets at a glance

• Past 10 games: 5-4-1

• Power play: 11.4 percent (30th in NHL)

• Penalty kill: 80.2 percent (19th in NHL)

• Player to watch: After a superhero start to his NHL career, goaltender Steve Mason has looked human in his past three outings. He'll need to be huge tonight.

• Injury update: LW/C Jason Chimera (groin), probable; D Rostislav Klesla (foot), LW Nikita Filatov (knee) and C Jiri Novotny (concussion), out

Detroit Red Wings at a glance

• Past 10 games: 7-2-1

• Power play: 27.6 percent (first in NHL)

• Penalty kill: 79.6 percent (22nd in NHL)

• Player to watch: Right winger Tomas Holmstrom plants himself like an oak tree in front of the opponent's net. Moving him out of the way will be the battle within the battle.

• Injury watch: LW Johan Franzen (hip), probable; D Brad Stuart (ribs) and RW Darren McCarty (groin), out