from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

Jakub Vrana's first NHL game in four months appears likely to come against his former team.

Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said after Monday's practice that "we would like to get him in," Tuesday when the Wings face a crucial test at the Washington Capitals. "We are stuck on who to take out."

Vrana spent practice at Capital One Arena taking shifts, in turn, on the third line and fourth line. He has not played in the NHL since Oct. 15, enduring a turbulent three months that included a stay in the players assistance program, being placed on waivers, and spending six weeks in the minors.

"It’s been some time, so I am really excited," Vrana said. "I’ve been training a lot so it’s going to be nice at some point to get the game going and get that game feel. I'm excited to go in."...

"The potential of him scoring is intriguing," Lalonde said. "You’d like to think he can help us. You really don’t want to expect, he hasn’t played an NHL game in such a long time."

read on

from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,

The Detroit Red Wings’ mission to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons involves the NHL equivalent of running with the bulls.

This morning, there are seven teams competing for two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. Those seven teams are all within five points of each other. They all boast points percentages between .527 and .573. That’s too many bulls running hard over a short distance.

Just over seven weeks remain in the NHL season. It ends on April 14.

As is also the case with the bulls in Pamploma, Spain, winning involves remaining unscathed while making a dash for the finish line.

The Red Wings are three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders who currently sit in the two wild-card spots. The Islanders were wounded over the weekend when key performer Mathew Barzal suffered a lower body injury. The Islanders announced today that he is out indefinitely.

Detroit is looking to complete a successful road trip by downing the struggling Capitals Tuesday in the nation’s capital. The Caps have lost four in a row and are 5-10-0 since Jan. 11. Washington has been outscored 17-7 in their four-game losing streak.

They are 0-3 since their captain Alex Ovechkin took a leave of absence to deal with the issues surrounding the death of his father. NHL.com’s Tom Guilliti reported that Ovechkin could return to the lineup later this week.

more

via the Detroit Free Press,

With the way the Caps are playing, and Ovi out, this game is for the taking. Virtually, a must win. 

Sit T-bert. Since he isn’t signed we don’t want him hurt before the deadline. Trade him!

Going to be an interesting choice with who to sit if Vrana is back in. It'll be an even bigger decision when Raymond returns.