Red Wings' Petr Mrazek: Defending cage Friday

Mrazek was named the home starter for Friday's clash with the Islanders, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

Analysis:

We're past the All-Star break in the NHL season and Mrazek still isn't averaging better than a .900 save mark; to be exact, he's at .894 with a goose egg in the shutouts column. Detroit players are white in the fingertips trying to hang onto their playoff hopes, and fans of the Winged Wheel are anxious for Jimmy Howard (knee) to make his long-awaited return from a knee injury. Once Howard is ready -- he's currently down in the AHL on a conditioning assignment -- that will almost assuredly mean significantly less playing time for Mrazek or rookie Jared Coreau.