MacDonald Blanks Blue Jackets as Red Wings Win, 2-0

On a night when he wasn’t even supposed to be on the roster, Detroit goaltender Joey MacDonald led the Red Wings to a 2-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

MacDonald stopped all 37 shots he faced on Thursday, a game that Chris Osgood was scheduled to start. Osgood was unable to return from his groin injury as expected on Wednesday and MacDonald was brought back from the Grand Rapids Griffins, getting the nod in his place.

Drew Miller and Valtteri Filppula scored for the Red Wings, who extended their winning streak to four games.

Miller – who had been a healthy scratch for the two previous games – opened the game’s scoring just 33 seconds in. Darren Helm’s shot from the right faceoff circle was kicked aside by goalie Steve Mason but Miller picked the puck up in the slot and knocked it into the back of the net.

Filppula’s goal came on a Detroit power play with 8:37 left in the period. Johan Franzen carried the puck at the side of the goal for what looked like a wraparound attempt but instead passed it out to Filppula in the left faceoff circle for a wrister into the open side of the net.

The goal gave Detroit one on four power play tries. Columbus had six chances with the extra attacker, including 43 seconds of five-on-three in the third period.

Mason finished the night with 25 saves on 27 Red Wings shots.

Detroit lost both Pavel Datsyuk and Brian Rafalski to injury in the final frame. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock later said that Rafalski would be fine but that Datsyuk had suffered a lower body injury.