CALGARY, Alberta -- If the Detroit Red Wings extend their playoff streak to 19 seasons,

might be looked back upon as their defining moment.

After the pivotal game, the team flew to Kelowna, a town general manager Ken Holland refers to as a "year-round paradise."

Instead of heading into this rare three-day break between road games on a sour note, the Red Wings are upbeat and confident about their postseason chances. Instead of being one point out of a playoff spot following a regulation loss, they are three points ahead of the Flames for the final berth in the Western Conference.

"That was a topic of conversation (Sunday) at dinner," goaltender Jimmy Howard said. "Got to get two points (Monday) to make these next three days enjoyable, allow us to relax just a little bit and have some fun."

After a day off Tuesday, the Red Wings are scheduled to practice Wednesday and Thursday at Prospera Place, the 6,800-seat home of the major junior Kelowna Rockets. They will wrap up the trip with games in Edmonton on Friday and Vancouver on Saturday.

"Now the guys can have a day off and then practice really hard for two days in an environment where you get to relax a little bit and get ready for a push," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Because we got to have a real good push."

When the schedule was released in July and Holland saw the three-day break, he pondered two options, neither of which was spending more time in the sub-freezing temperatures of Edmonton. They considered Banff, the ski resort town just west of Calgary, but they've been there before with the team.

"We decided we'd do something different," Holland said.

Different for most of the players, but not to Holland and goalie Chris Osgood, who have summer homes 45 minutes north in Vernon, British Columbia, or Babcock, who played a year of junior hockey in Kelowna.

Holland was born in Vernon, where he says he will retire. He likened the Okanagan Valley to Traverse City for its scenery and to Napa Valley, Calif., for its roughly 40 vineyards. The area is popular for golf, skiing and wine.

"It's one of the best climates in Canada," Holland said. "It's a popular winter destination for Canadians."

It also is a popular summer home for NHL players, including Osgood, who has lived there for 14 years.

"I was golfing in (former teammate) Brent Gilchrist's tournament and just fell in love with the area," Osgood said. "My mom lives about two hours away. I just decided to stay out there.

"When I moved there, there wasn't that many (players and ex-players) there. Now, there's got to be over a hundred. It's a beautiful area. The weather is really good in summer and winter. Just a great area to live."

Holland isn't sure if the practices will draw capacity crowds, but he expects at least 3,000 to 4,000 fans per day.

"Hopefully, it puts a bolt of energy into our team," he said.

The Red Wings will look to match a season-high four-game winning streak against the Oilers, who have the worst record in the NHL.

"To me is what gives a team confidence is when you start putting some streaks together," Babcock said.

The Red Wings and Flames each have 13 games remaining. But Detroit plays seven at home, Calgary just five.

While the Red Wings have only six games against clubs in playoff position and five games against the bottom-feeding Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets, the Flames have a much tougher schedule, with nine games against teams in a position to make the postseason.

"We like our group. We got to show that we're worth liking," Babcock said. "You can't just talk about it, you got to do it. (Monday) is a good step for us."