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Red Wings' Petr Mrazek: Named Sunday's starter after edging Caps in OT

Mrazek turned away 34 of 36 shots from the visiting Capitals on Saturday, not including the four he denied in the shootout for a huge win at home. He's already been named the starter for Sunday's road game against the Penguins, Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News reports.

Analysis:

What an incredible start from the Czech tender, who defied the odds by solving the second-ranked offense in the NHL. Mrazek also said "not in my house" to stud skaters T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alex Ovechkin -- not to mention a sneaky weapon in Brett Connolly -- in the shootout sequence. This has been a forgettable year for the Red Wings with their playoff hopes all but vanished for the first time in 26 seasons, but performances like this are a boon for Mrazek's confidence as he had come to terms with losing the starting job to Jimmy Howard (knee) much earlier than expected this campaign. Mrazek can make another strong statement Sunday if he storms into Pittsburgh with another win.

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