DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk will sit out for the seventh consecutive game Saturday in Nashville (3 p.m., FSD) due to a lower-body injury suffered March 17 in Columbus.



Datsyuk has been skating, seemingly at full speed, for several days and continues to say he feels better and is getting close. After today's practice, he said he was going to consult with the team doctor before determining if he could play.



Coach Mike Babcock then said Datsyuk is out, and his status for Sunday's game against Minnesota at Joe Louis Arena is unknown.



Center Mike Modano will play Saturday, after missing practice Thursday due to a sore groin.



Here are the lines they skated with today, which, of course, will be different for the game now that Datsyuk has been ruled out. Now word yet on who will be scratched:



Cleary-Zetterberg-Bertuzzi

Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom (Modano working in)

Hudler-Filppula-Abdelkader

Draper/Miller-Helm-Eaves



Lidstrom-Stuart

Ericsson-Kronwall

Kindl/Salei-Rafalski



Howard (starting)

MacDonald

Osgood (inactive)





The Red Wings will try to bounce back from Wednesday's 10-3 loss to St. Louis.

“Any adversity you face in your life you want to respond to it. I think we've had enough,'' Babcock said. "It appears we're starting to get healthy, that's a real plus. But the reality is we have five games left and it's very important we take a step.''

Nashville has won four games in a row against Detroit, outscoring the Red Wings 13-3. The Red Wings won the first game between the teams, 5-2 in Detroit on Oct. 30.

The Red Wings lead the Predators by four points in the Central Division. If Detroit wins in regulation, Nashville will be eliminated from the division race because the Predators could only tie the Red Wings in points, and Detroit would have clinched the first tie-breaker, having more regulation and overtime wins.

But the Red Wings can't clinch the division Saturday because Chicago would still be mathematically alive for the title.