--Backup goalie Ty Conklin, getting the start because Jimmy Howard played the night before, was critical of his own performance following Saturday's 7-1 loss in Washington. Conklin allowed the puck to squirt through him for the Capitals' fourth goal, which was a back-breaker, putting his team down 4-1 with 7.6 seconds left in the second period. Conklin said that was the only bad goal he allowed but that he needed to make more saves.

--The Wings' work ethic and desire has rubbed off on Fabian Brunnstrom, who made his Detroit debut on Saturday. It was the skilled forward's 100th NHL game, his first since April 6, 2010, when he played for Dallas. Since then, Brunnstrom's career has gone south. He spent all of 2010-11 in the AHL, between the Dallas and Toronto organizations. But Brunnstrom, who entered the league amid so much hype in 2008, is proud of the resiliency he has shown, earning a one-year contract after a solid training camp.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"The final score is unacceptable. But the first two periods, I thought we were fine. The third period was a complete disaster. We didn't have any jump left in our legs." -- Wings D Niklas Kronwall.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.