Red Wings  1    Blue Jackets  0

Detroit Red Wings (42-24-14) at Columbus Blue Jackets (32-35-14), 7 p.m.

Sports Network | April 9, 2010

(Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings will continue to fight for playoff positioning tonight when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena for the finale of a home-and-home series.

The Red Wings are in the playoffs for the 19th straight season, but they've had their streak of eight straight Central Division titles broken by Chicago this year. Detroit enters tonight tied with Nashville and Los Angeles for the fifth seed in the West. The Wings and LA each have two games remaining, while the Predators have one test left.

Columbus, meanwhile, has been eliminated from playoff contention for quite some time and is playing its final game of the season tonight.

Detroit ended a two-game slide by posting a 4-3 regulation win over the Blue Jackets at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday. Niklas Kronwall had a goal and an assist as the Red Wings outscored Columbus by a 3-1 margin in the third period to take the opener of the home-and-home set.

Nicklas Lidstrom, Dan Cleary and Tomas Holmstrom each had a goal for the Red Wings. Jimmy Howard made 21 saves in the win.

"When we were down Jimmy made some big saves for us," said Lidstrom about Howard. "Especially in the third, he made some big saves for us to help us take this one."

With a win tonight, the Red Wings would have 100 points exactly for the year. Detroit has reached the century mark in each of its last eight seasons.

Mike Blunden, R.J. Umberger and Samuel Pahlsson each had a goal for the Blue Jackets, who have dropped their last four contests. Steve Mason made 31 stops in the loss.

"Mason was unbelievable for us tonight," said Blunden about Mason. "He came up huge for us again and again tonight. It was a big game for him and we're upset we couldn't get him the win."

Columbus has played its last two games without captain Rick Nash, who has been dealing with neck/back problems. Nash, who leads the Blue Jackets in goals (33) and points (67) this season, is expected to return to the ice tonight.

Detroit has won four of five against the Blue Jackets this year and has taken 10 of 14 overall in the series and that doesn't include the Red Wings' four- game sweep of Columbus in the opening round of last year's playoffs. Detroit has lost three of five and five of its last eight road tests in this series.

The Red Wings, who will end their regular season Sunday in Chicago, are 17-14-8 as the road team this season. Columbus is 20-12-8 as the home team.