Stanley Cups: 11

2011-'12 record: 48-28-3-3, 102 points (3rd in Central, 6th in West)

2011-'12 playoffs: Lost to Nashville Predators 4-1

Coach: Mike Babcock (421-216-101, 11th NHL year, 2nd team)

Top returning scorer: LW Henrik Zetterberg (22 goals, 47 assists, 69 points)

Top returning goalie: Jimmy Howard (35-17-4, 2.13, .920)

Key additions: RW Mikael Samuelsson; RW Jordin Tootoo; G Jonas Gustavsson; D Carlo Colaiacovo.

Key subtractions: D Nicklas Lidstrom; C Jiri Hudler; LW Tomas Holmstrom; D Brad Stuart.

Goaltending: Howard took another step forward last season, earning a nod to the NHL All-Star Game and challenging for the league lead in wins until suffering late season groin injury. He’ll need to be even bigger this season with all the changes along Detroit’s blue-line and should get pushed for playing time by Gustavsson.

Player to watch: RW Damien Brunner. Brunner paired with Zetterberg on a line for EV Zug of the Swiss League during the lockout and they tore it up together. They figure to start in Detroit as a line along with Pavel Datsyuk and the key will be how Brunner adapts to having less time and space on the smaller North American ice surface.

Icing: Wings have taken a huge hit on defense the past two seasons, losing Lidstrom, Stuart and Brian Rafalski . . . Babcock says they’ve lost two players who were the best in the world at what they did – Lidstrom on defense and Holmstrom with his net-front presence . . . Wings streak of 21 straight years in playoffs could be in jeopardy.

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Red Wings strike back

PHT: Detroit scored four unanswered goals to top Chicago 4-1 on Saturday. The Western semifinals are now level at one game apiece. Game 3 is on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports

Highlights: Detroit-Chicago Game 2

  The Blackhawks get off to a fast start, but Damien Brunner and Brendan Smith score in the second period for the Red Wings to help seal a 4-1 victory over Chicago in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

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