Red Wings proud they're the NHL's best at coming back

UP IN THE AIR -- The Detroit Red Wings are a confident group when it comes to crossing the finish line first.

They wrap up five road games in eight days with a Saturday matinee against the Nashville Predators, who sit atop the NHL with 89 points. The Wings have gone 2-1-1 through stops at Dallas, Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose, most recently rallying for a 3-2 victory over the Sharks on Thursday.

That improved the Wings to 8-11-2 when trailing after two periods, a league-best winning percentage of .381. Newcomer Teemu Pulkkinen already has picked up on what happens when it's late in a game and the score isn't in Detroit's favor. "Even when we are losing," he said after the Sharks game, "we keep playing like we are going to get a goal."

The Wings are taking today off because recuperation trumps practice when so many games are crammed into a short span. Coach Mike Babcock already has decided that goalie Jonas Gustavsson will get the start against the Predators.

Defenseman Brendan Smith left the Sharks game with a sore hand, but general manager Ken Holland told the Free Press that Smith should be OK to play. If he isn't, Kyle Quincey is available.

Henrik Zetterberg remains sidelined at least one more game because of the effects of getting hit in the head.

The Wings' ability to bounce back starts with the team's leadership. Datsyuk has had an especially impressive trip, scoring five goals. As goalie Jimmy Howard put it, "We're thankful that he's on our side every night.

Luke Glendening, who had the game-winning goal in San Jose, likewise pointed to the leadership of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall when asked about the Wings' rallying ability.

Kronwall repeatedly described the Sharks victory as "we found a way." That way was to outshoot San Jose, 31-8, after a bad first period. Babcock pointed to the Wings' ability to skate and their competitiveness as keys. "If you compete at a high level, you have a chance," he said. "That's what the game is all about. The game is fair every night -- if you compete hard, you get rewarded, and if you don't, you're not rewarded. I liked that the guys found a way."

When the Wings start well enough to build a lead after two periods, they're 21-0-3. When they don't, their resiliency has an upside that one veteran sees paying off in the long term. "It's great to see, especially from a young team," Howard said. "I think a lot of guys are maturing throughout the year here, and it's going to be great down the stretch and in the playoffs."

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.