DETROIT -- Justin Abdelkader realizes his time on one of the Detroit Red Wings’ scoring lines is fleeting. But the young forward has made a good impression the last two games playing between big forwards Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi.

"Lines change a lot and may still change, but it’s been a lot of fun and I just got to make the most of the opportunity and enjoy it," Abdelkader said. "I’m just going to keep my game the same. Play well defensively, get in on the forecheck and hang onto pucks and get the puck to those guys because they can do good things with it and make plays."

He hopes the experience of playing with skilled players will make him a more versatile, well-rounded player.

"I played a lot of wing this year and now I’m playing center," Abdelkader said. "Just go out there and keep my game simple and work hard."

Eventually, Valtteri Filppula likely will return to the second-line spot that is created when Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are paired together. But coach Mike Babcock said he likes what he’s seen from that line, even though he’ll use several combinations during the final three regular season games, including Wednesday at Carolina.

"Abby’s played real hard," Babcock said. "Val Filppula is a skilled guy for us that we think should probably be in that hole because, to be as good as we can be, we need to be slotted right. And yet Abby’s played real well and he’s been effective for us for a couple games."

The Red Wings want Abdelkader to be difficult to play against with his abrasiveness and physical style.

"I think he’s gaining his reputation for that," Bertuzzi said. "He plays hard. He’ll back it up, too. He’s capable of being offensive. Just got to get years under his belt and get his confidence up and he can be a darn good player."

When Babcock elects to play his three biggest forwards together, they hope to get the puck in deep, wear down the defense and make it hard on opposing goaltenders by going to the net.

"That’s an element we’re going to need in the playoffs," Bertuzzi said. "With myself and Mule, we can wear out (the defense) if we continue on with the pressure. And we’re all offensive enough that we can contribute. It’s a matter of playing hard."

Said Franzen: "We cycle the puck pretty good. We got to try to hang onto the puck and be big, keep it away from the other team as much as we can."

Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said that line can present matchup problems for opponents.

"They’re big bodies, they’re tough to move around, good at hanging onto the puck and making plays with it," Lidstrom said. "They’re strong skaters, too. They can get in on the forecheck and use their bodies to their advantage. They can score for us as well. So that’s a tough line to play against."



Franzen still looking to end slump

Franzen scored just his second goal in his past 24 games Sunday against Minnesota. He still leads the team with 28 goals, but the club’s most potent goal-scorer the past four seasons has experienced an unusual slump since his five-goal outburst Feb. 2 in Ottawa. And he has been reluctant to address it.

"I don’t know if it’s going to give me any confidence, but it’s a goal," Franzen said. "It didn’t really matter in the game. Not a big goal."

But isn’t any goal a big goal for him right now?

"We would have won anyway," Franzen said. "(Winning) is all I worry about."

Babcock: Sharks playing the best

The Red Wings are battling San Jose for the No. 2 playoff seed in the Western Conference, behind Vancouver. The Sharks lead by one point.

"When I look around the league, I think in the West right now, San Jose is playing the best," Babcock said. "They’re hitting on all cylinders right now. Vancouver, no question, has been the best team and there’s a number of great teams."

He added, "Just because you’re hitting on all cylinders this week doesn’t mean you are next week. That first game in the playoffs can determine a lot. So our focus is to continue to work on the details, to make sure every guy on our team understands that to have success ... it doesn’t matter how many minutes you play, who you play with. All that matters is about the Red Wings. Just find a way to win."

Defenseman Niklas Kronwall will miss his third consecutive game today due to an upper-body injury. He’s day-to-day.