DETROIT -- Their 10-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday was alarming, but the Detroit Red Wings aren’t panicking.

They also are not dismissing it simply as one bad night. Despite having the third-best record in the Western Conference, the Red Wings realize they must tighten up defensively (they rank 21st in the NHL in goals against) and be better at home (10-12-4 since Dec. 1) with the playoffs less than two weeks away.

Their sense of urgency to correct the problems is increasing with only five games remaining.

"Everyone in here was embarrassed walking out," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "You don’t want to go anywhere, you don’t want to be seen anywhere, you feel so bad about the way you played.

"If we keep playing like this, it’ll be a short run for us in the playoffs. The work ethic hasn’t been there, the execution hasn’t been there."

Coach Mike Babcock skated the players hard in Thursday’s practice, calling it "penance day." He said players and coaches didn’t do their job and are anxious to "flush" the game.

"Compete and work, that’s all it was," Babcock said.

"We felt we were getting better and better and better and then to have that happen ... if there’s not a sense of urgency, there’s a problem. We’re a proud franchise that’s been very good for a long period of time and we plan on staying good. The only way you stay good is if your competition level is at the highest point."

Several players said it was a wake-up call, the kind of performance that grabs their attention more than a tight loss would.

The Red Wings visit Nashville on Saturday to face a team that has won four consecutive games against them. Kronwall said they must play with more passion and pay attention to details.

"It’s been too sloppy. We haven’t been executing in our own zone," Kronwall said. "Get back to the puck, win battles, make the first good pass out of our zone. We have to do a better job in the neutral zone. We have to do a better job in the offensive zone as well. There’s a lot of things we can improve on."

Goaltender Jimmy Howard will start against the Predators. He missed two games with a sprained left shoulder, but saw what troubled the team Wednesday.

"Stop the carousel rides in our own zone, where it seems like teams get wound up and they just start circling," Howard said. "(If) we just stay in spots, talk it out a little more in the defensive zone, communication will eliminate a lot of guys doubling up on coverages."

Players said they must stop trying to do each other’s job.

"On the ice when you get a little spread out, there’s miscommunication and some breakdowns in coverage and holes are created," Mike Modano said. "And then everyone tries to back up that guy and it kind of snowballs."

Nicklas Lidstrom said the key to success can be as simple as getting the puck out of your zone and into the offensive zone.

"It’s not always looking for the perfect pass," Lidstrom said.

Datsyuk getting closer; Modano questionable

Babcock said Pavel Datsyuk’s status will be determined the day of the game. Datsyuk has missed six games with a lower-body injury but has been skating hard for several days.

Modano didn’t practice Thursday because of a sore groin. Babcock said he is questionable for the weekend, but Modano thinks he’ll play Saturday.

"It was just something I felt as the game went on, same deal I had a couple of days ago," Modano said. "Considering the type of day they were going to have today ... you knew there was going to be a lot of skating. It was probably best to give today a little rest, get ready for tomorrow."

Modano said he caught some grief from teammates about his timing.

"The comment was that it was something a 40-year-old would pull," Modano said.