Quote of the day … Wings coach Mike Babcock

DETROIT — Wings coach Mike Babcock wants his team to play like a fine running lawnmower from the start in Game 6.

“I didn’t think our team reacted very good in the first 10 minutes in Anaheim, I thought it was bad,” Wingss coach Mike Babcock said. “I thought we had an unbelievable second period and the third period was up for grabs. We need to start better here tonight. We have to find a way. I explained to one of our kids it’s kind of like a lawnmower. You choke it, you start it, rev it, it takes a few minutes to get going. We don’t need to be a lawnmower we need to get that done in warmup. We need to be idling just perfect.”

Howard leaves ice early, but Babcock said it was planned

DETROIT — Goalie Jimmy Howard also left the ice early, but Wings coach Mike Babcock said that was planned.

“Anytime it’s real humid, and we’ve done this a lot in the past, before we’d have a minor league goalie available, but that team made the playoffs, so what we did was we skated him and gave him the boot,” Babcock said.

Howard will start Game 6 tonight according to Babcock and general manager Ken Holland.

Colaiacovo in for Lashoff; Eaves out, Cleary OK to play

DETROIT – Quick update from the Detroit Red Wings’ morning skate at Joe Louis Arena prior to Game 6 tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.

Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo will replace Brian Lashoff in the lineup and with Justin Abdelkader returning from suspension, forward Patrick Eaves will be a healthy scratch.

“We didn’t move the puck (in Game 5),” Wings coach Mike Babcock said about his decision to sit Lashoff. “We struggled, in particular that pair a lot that game, opening shift and a number of other shifts. We weren’t good enough so we’re making a change.”

Lashoff was paired with Jakub Kindl.

“You’re a pro, you’ve been practicing, here’s your opportunity, you can decide for yourself,” Babcock said. “If you’re mentally tough it shouldn’t be an issue.”

Colaiacovo was told he would make his playoff debut on the plane ride back from Anaheim on Thursday.

“I don’t know what the word is to use, I think excited is a small word,” Colaiacovo said. “It’s real gratifying obviously. This is the biggest reason why I wanted to come here, to play at this time of the season for this team. It’s been tough watching, but I think the team has done a great job in getting us to this point. We’ve got a real good group in here, a real resilient group. It’s taken a lot of patience and hard work for me to get this opportunity and I just want to make the most of it tonight. It’s a game that’s really important to us. It’s do or die and there’s no better feeling than playing playoff hockey.”

As far as Babcock’s decision to sit Eaves over Mikael Samuelsson or Todd Bertuzzi, that was much tougher.

“Real good question and I ask myself the same question,” Babcock said when asked why Eaves was sitting. “He played good, does what he’s supposed to, runs over people and a real competitive guy. But because I know more insider information that I’m not sharing with you, I have to have other guys to cover up for other people just in case they can’t survive. I did the same thing you just asked, it makes no sense for me.”

That player could be Daniel Cleary, who was checked from behind against the end boards by Daniel Winnik in Game 5.

“I feel good,” Cleary said. “It’s playoffs. I feel good. I was happy about that this morning.”

Cleary left the game on Wednesday in Anaheim with a shoulder injury, but did return for the start of the third.

“I didn’t see him at any point,” Cleary said of the incident. “It’s a dangerous play, what happened to me on the ice with my shoulder. Hockey’s a fast game, decisions are made quickly.
It was as bad as I anticipated. I was … it’s fine. I got a little bit of help from the doctors, was able to come back and I feel good today.”

Abdelkader ready to return for Game 6; Cleary’s status for Friday won’t be known till morning skate

ROMULUS – The Detroit Red Wings’ top line has been missing a certain element these last two games.

That component returns Friday night.

Forward Justin Abdelkader returns from his two-game suspension for Game 6 of the Wings’ Western Conference quarterfinal series with the Anaheim Ducks.

“It’s huge for us,” said Detroit coach Mike Babcock, whose team trails the best-of-seven series 3-2. “He’s a big, physical presence. I think he makes (Henrik Zetterberg) and (Pavel Datsyuk) better so that’ll help them. Obviously, someone has to come out of the lineup and we’ll figure that out here.”

Abdelkader was handed a two-game suspension after a hit on Anaheim defenseman Toni Lydman late in the second period of Game 3.

“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Abdelkader said after getting off the team plane Thursday. “The guys won a big game back here, you know, in Game 4, and unfortunately it didn’t go the way we wanted in Game 5, losing in overtime. But hopefully I can come in and inject some energy into the lineup and help us get a win.

“It’s tough, really tough (to watch), especially how tight both games were with a couple of overtime games,” Abdelkader added. “It’s more nerve-wrecking to watch than playing, that’s for sure.”

The Wings tried a number of combinations to play alongside Zetterberg and Datsyuk on the top line, but none of them could duplicate Abdelkader’s physical style, his forechecking, his net-front presence and his ability to retrieve pucks for linemates.

“It’s been tough on him,” defenseman Brendan Smith said. “He’s a very competitive guy that wants to be in the lineup. He’s a close buddy of mine so I see him a lot at the breakfasts and lunches and he has had the itch like he’s ready to get back in the lineup. We’re excited to have him back. He’s a big force for us and a great presence in the room. He’s going to come in firing because he has that itch going.”

Lydman has missed the last two games because he’s experiencing headaches.

“I don’t think I have a history of making dirty plays and dirty hits,” Abdelkader said. “I just play my same game and obviously if a hit like that presents itself I just have to be smarter about it and target a little lower.”

In the second period on Wednesday, forward Daniel Cleary was slammed into the boards from behind by Anaheim’s Daniel Winnik. Winnik was assessed a five-minute major for boarding, but not a game misconduct.

Cleary left after the hit, shaken up and in severe pain, but did return for the start of the third period.

The league did not discipline Winnik for the hit.

“I think if (the refs) see the guy is injured than it’s definitely going to raise some red flags,” Abdelkader continued. “If Cleary would have gotten up right away it would have been a two-minute penalty, but he was hurt on the play so it’s five minutes. Yeah, they’re calling them tight and trying to protect players, which is a good thing.”

Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said Thursday he wasn’t worried about Winnik getting suspended.

“It means they’re a better team,” Boudreau said of the Wings getting Abdelkader back. “He’s played very well for them, especially against us. They’re going to be a better team and a harder foe than they’ve been before.

“We wish we had Toni,” Boudreau added. “He’s not on the trip and he hasn’t skated since he got hit. Whether it’s (Game 6) or Sunday, I got to believe it would be hard for him to get back in the lineup.”

Cleary’s status for Friday won’t be known until after the morning skate.

“It’s great to good now, but we’ll see in the morning,” Babcock said.

Quote of the day … Ryan Getzlaf

DETROIT — Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf didn’t fear a suspension for Daniel Winnick after his hit on Wings foward Daniel Cleary in Game 5.

Winnick was assessed a five-minute penalty for boarding and did not receive another other discipline from the league.

“I saw it and he went into the boards a little awkward,” Getzlaf said. “I didn’t see it was a deliberate attempt at any kind of injury. Dan stayed down for a while, but he was able to come back in the game. It showed what the actual hit was.”

Joakim Andersson: “I want to be a good defensive player and that was not a good defensive play.”

ROMULUS — Rookie forward Joakim Andersson lost Anaheim’s Nick Bonino in front of the Wings’ goal Wednesday night and it resulted in the game-ending tally that put the Ducks a win away from winning the series.

“I want to be a good defensive player and that was not a good defensive play,” Andersson said. “I was not very happy about that, but I can’t go home and cry about it. I’ve just got to focus on the next game and do better. I have to forget about that situation. I obviously have seen on video what happened. I should have done different. I’ve just got to play good again tomorrow.”