Joakim-Andersson-3-29-14

The Red Wings' Joakim Andersson has contributed eight goals but isn't pleased with his minus-11 rating.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT – Joakim Andersson will return to the lineup for the Detroit Red Wings Sunday in their regular season finale at St. Louis (12:30 p.m., NBC), replacing Daniel Alfredsson, who will not play.

Alfredsson, who has been bothered by a sore back, will be ready for the start of the playoffs on Wednesday or Thursday, coach Mike Babcock said.

That will be the only lineup change for the Red Wings in a game that may or may not have any bearing on their playoff positioning. Detroit is coming off a 2-1 loss to Carolina on Friday.

David Legwand also didn't practice today but he will play Sunday, Babcock said.

Andersson had been a healthy scratch the past five games. He’ll take Alfredsson’s spot on a line with Darren Helm and Tomas Jurco.

“That was my first time ever being a healthy scratch,” Andersson said. “It’s tough. The guys have been doing good. … We had a lot of good players. A lot of guys from Grand Rapids were playing well. Myself, (I) hadn’t been great.”

Andersson, normally a checking-line center, has eight goals and 17 points in 64 games. But he has a minus-11 rating.

“This season has been up and down for me,” Andersson said. “I think I can be a better player. Other players have been doing good.”

Babcock disagreed.

“Andy’s been good,” Babcock said. “Andy just got in a situation where I tried something else, it worked. Andy’s a good player, plays hard for us; a smart, important part of our team. It (being scratched) had nothing to do with anything he did.”

If Philadelphia beats Pittsburgh this afternoon and Columbus wins in Florida tonight, the Red Wings would be locked into the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. In that case, they would face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs.

The Red Wings must finish ahead of either the Flyers or Blue Jackets – not necessarily both – to gain the first wild card spot. In that case they would draw the Penguins in the first round.

The injury-riddled Blues are reeling, losers of five in a row. They are tied with Colorado for first place in the Central Division with 111 points. The division winner will play Minnesota or Dallas in the first round, while the second-place team meets Chicago.

So Sunday’s game is important for the Blues.

Here are the lines the Red Wings skated with today at University Liggett High School in Grosse Pointe Woods, as Joe Louis Arena wasn’t available due to the Cher concert:

Johan Franzen-Pavel Datsyuk-Justin Abdelkader

Tomas Tatar-Riley Sheahan-Gustav Nyquist

Tomas Jurco-Darren Helm-Joakim Andersson

Drew Miller-Luke Glendening-Todd Bertuzzi

Legwand and Alfredsson did not skate.

Brendan Smith-Niklas Kronwall

Kyle Quincey-Danny DeKeyser

Brian Lashoff-Jakub Kindl

Forwads Daniel Cleary and Mikael Samuelsson skated as the fourth defense pairing.

Jimmy Howard (starting Sunday)

Petr Mrazek

Jonas Gustavsson hasn't practiced since hurting his shoulder in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss at Pittsburgh.