Detroit (19-8-2) at Washington (9-16-2) 7:00 pm EST

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• Red Wings Put Up Points Early On In Win

Regular Season Matchup
	W-L-OT	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
DET	58-16-8	27-9-5	31-7-3	25-3-4	52-13-7
WAS	29-41-12	16-18-7	13-23-5	11-14-7	24-37-11
· Complete Standings

Team Stat Comparison
301	Goals	230
205	Goals Against	300
102	Power Play Goals	72
67	Power Play Goals Allowed	116
7	Shorthanded Goals	15
10	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	18
1117	Penalty Minutes	1499
14	Average Penalty Minutes	18

Goalie Breakdown
	GOALIE	GP	W	TGA	GAA	SO	SV	SV%
	Manny Legace	51	37	106	2.19	7	1138	.915
	Chris Osgood	32	20	85	2.76	2	743	.897
	Jimmy Howard	4	1	10	2.99	0	94	.904
	Olaf Kolzig	59	20	206	3.53	0	1781	.896
	Brent Johnson	26	9	81	3.44	1	773	.905
	Frederic Cassivi	1	0	4	4.09	0	26	.867

Team Stat Leaders
G	Brendan Shanahan 40	Alex Ovechkin 52
A	Nicklas Lidstrom 64	Alex Ovechkin 54
PTS	Pavel Datsyuk 87	Alex Ovechkin 106
PIM	Chris Chelios 108	Brendan Witt 141
SOG	Brendan Shanahan 289	Alex Ovechkin 425

Detroit (19-8-2) at Washington (9-16-2) 7:00 pm EST

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - The Washington Capitals sure could use Robert Lang right about now.

Nearly two years after being traded by the Capitals to the Detroit Red Wings, Lang makes his return to the nation's capital Friday.

In two seasons with Washington, Lang collected 51 goals and 92 assists in 145 games before he was shipped to Detroit on February 27, 2004 for Tomas Fleischmann and two draft picks.

Lang - who is suffering through a groin injury - has eight goals and 16 assists in 26 games this season. Meanwhile, Fleischmann is playing for Washington's American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey.

Since starting the season with a 12-1 record, Detroit has gone 7-7-2 in its last 16 games. The Red Wings are coming off a 5-2 victory vs. New Jersey on Tuesday behind two goals from Brendan Shanahan.

Captain Steve Yzerman, who scored the final goal of the game, needs one assist to tie Red Wing great Gordie Howe (1,049) for seventh on the all-time list.

Meanwhile, Washington has struggled offensive without Lang, managing just 74 goals in 27 games.

The Capitals lost for the sixth time in seven games Wednesday, dropping a 5-2 decision to Nashville. Ben Clymer and rookie sensation Alexander Ovechkin scored for Washington, which has scored two goals or fewer in four of its last five contests.

Detroit has won each of its last two visits to Washington, including a 5-1 triumph on December 13, 2003 behind two goals and two assists from Pavel Datsyuk.