Red Wings know there's room for improvement despite perch atop Western Conference standings

The Detroit Red Wings reached the NHL’s two-day Christmas break right where they want to be -- tied for first in the Western Conference.

But as well as the Red Wings have started -- they have led the conference most of the season -- coach Mike Babcock noted they are only six points out of ninth place.

“It’s tight in the West; we feel we have a good team, but we also feel there’s lots of good teams,” Babcock said. “The depth in the West is as good as it’s ever been. The line is finer.“Maybe your ranking going into the playoffs isn’t as important as it used to be. I still believe the more you win (during the season), the more you’re set up to win (in the playoffs). We got to get back on track and feeling good about ourselves. Confidence in the NHL is fleeting.”All it takes is a little slump to drop a few notches. The Red Wings are experiencing one right now, having gone 4-5-2 in their past 11 games.The Red Wings dominated the final 30 minutes of Thursday’s game in St. Louis, outshooting the Blues 29-11 over the last two periods. But they could not overcome a sluggish start, losing 4-3, as Chris Osgood, for the second time in three games, was denied his 400th victory.

After taking Friday and Saturday off, the Red Wings will fly to Minnesota on Sunday morning and play the Wild that night. It’s the start of a three-game trip in four nights. They visit Colorado on Monday and Dallas on Wednesday.

Their primary focus is to cut down on goals against. They have allowed four goals in each of their past four games. The last time that happened was Oct. 29-Nov. 3, 2003.

“It’s not easy to win games if you have to score five every game,” center Henrik Zetterberg said. “It’s something you got to look after.”

The Red Wings are 15th in the league in goals against (2.76 per game). Players say it’s a combination of allowing too many shots (29.4 per game, 14th in the league), committing too many turnovers and a downturn in penalty killing (16-of-24, 67 percent in the past seven games).

Goaltending also hasn’t been as strong lately. Jimmy Howard is 3-4, with a 3.48 goals-against average and .887 save percentage in his past seven starts.

“You got to think defense first, take care of your own zone and not be trading chances with teams,” team captain Nicklas Lidstrom said.
Defenseman Brad Stuart said they must take care of the puck better at both blue lines.

“We don’t need to be turning the puck over entering the (offensive) zone or trying to leave our zone,” Stuart said.

Defenseman Brian Rafalski said they need to be more cohesive in the defensive zone.

“I think the guys have a good idea of what we’re trying to do,” Rafalski said. “It just takes more communication. As the year goes on, it’s going to get better.”

The Red Wings were battling most of last season just to make the playoffs. They’re not as desperate this season. But their margin for error has been reduced.

“I don’t think (the conference) has ever been as tight as it is now,” Lidstrom said. “If you get a few wins in a row, you can move up, and if you lose a couple in a row, you can move down.