DETROIT -- The breakout season the Detroit Red Wings hoped to get from Valtteri Filppula did not transpire.

For all his skills, the third-line center continues to be plagued by inconsistency. He’ll play brilliantly for a few games and then go silent for long stretches.

Lately, Filppula has been driving to the net and playing with more grit. It has netted him three goals in the past five games. But the key for him, as always, is to continue to play like that.

"That’s how you score goals, you got to get to the net and got to be on the inside," coach Mike Babcock said. "You can make all the pretty plays you want on the outside, they don’t add up to points or goals."

Filppula said it’s always better to be on the inside than the outside.

"Definitely, a lot of goals are scored really close to the net, getting rebounds and deflections," he said. "Definitely, I need to do that more."

Confidence has always been an issue with Filppula, which is one of the reasons he doesn’t shoot as much as the club would like. After averaging a career-high 2.07 shots per game last season, he is back down to his career average of 1.63 this season.

With 16 and 36 points in 63 games, he is just short of his career highs of 19 goals (2007-08) and 40 points (‘08-09).

"When you don’t score for a while, the confidence is fleeting," Babcock said. "In the NHL, when it doesn’t go your way you start pressing and over-thinking instead of simplifying your game and shooting the puck and going to the net.

"He’s had some success lately, and therefore, I imagine that’ll be contagious and he’ll keep rolling. We need him to be a real big part. He’s a great skater, he can play on the wing, he can play down the middle, he can check the best people, he can play offensively. So he’s a good player for us."

Mursak gaining confidence

With his speed and tenacity on the forecheck, Jan Mursak continues to be the Red Wings’ first call-up option from the Grand Rapids Griffins. He played only 8:22 in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Vancouver, but he made his presence felt by pressuring the defense, rattling a shot off the crossbar and delivering a couple of hits.

"I’m happy I was the first one again to get called up," Mursak said. "They have a lot of good players in Grand Rapids who are doing very well right now. It looks like (the Red Wings) need the kind of player I am. I’m really happy they trust me with that."

Mursak will return to Grand Rapids once Detroit gets one of its injured players back (Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi all are day-to-day). Mursak will be a regular in Detroit next season.

"I’m more familiar with the way to play at this level," Mursak said. "Just have to keep it simple and do the things I do best and I’ll be OK."

Red Wings hope to see Canucks again

The Canucks and Red Wings split an entertaining four-game season series. Vancouver earned six points to Detroit’s four because of losses in overtime and a shootout.

The clubs hope to meet again, because if they do it likely will be in the Western Conference finals.

"They’re very dangerous. They got four lines that can play," Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard said. "Their top line, the (Sedin) twins and (Alexandre) Burrows, is one of the best lines in the Western Conference. They’re just so slick with the puck, no matter where they are, on the half-wall or behind the net."

Said Babcock: "The measure’s going to be what you do at playoff time, just like the rest of us. They’re fortunate, they’re real deep on the back end, they got eight (defensemen) that can play."