Petr Mrazek nearing end of successful fill-in stint

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Petr Mrazek will make what might be his last NHL appearance, for the time being, this weekend. But if that's the case, he'll leave having made a highly favorable impression.

Mrazek is slated for his 10th consecutive start Saturday night when the Detroit Red Wings face the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena. Mrazek has been the go-to goaltender for a month, but Jimmy Howard is on track to play Wednesday and backup Jonas Gustavsson is healthy, so the Red Wings won't need their third-string guy, even though he's 8-2 in 11 appearances dating to Jan. 7.

"Anytime your team wins like we've done, it's a real good thing," coach Mike Babcock said Friday. "Pete's played well. The team wins when he's playing — that's what you want from a goaltender. He's good with the puck, he competes hard, he's had the ability to bounce back."

Two of Mrazek's recent wins have come after being pulled.

"I think it was a good month," Mrazek said. "I had some bad goals, some games I probably want back, but that's over. You have to look for the future."

As much as he has done for the Red Wings professionally, his presence also has been personally pleasant, especially for some of the younger players who were his teammates in the minors.

"We are good friends from Grand Rapids, so it is nice for me. I have someone who I can talk to in our own language," Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar said of his Czech compatriot. "It's good for him to be here, and it's really fun.

"I think he is really good goalkeeper, and he proved many times he's NHL player. His reading of the game, he knows when the shooter is shooting and when he is passing, so he makes the other forwards look kind of dumb."

Franzen update: Johan Franzen, out since getting hit Jan. 6, still can't get through a workout without wooziness. He had intended to come on this Western trip to be around teammates and continue light workouts, but that was scratched after he contracted the flu, assistant general manager Ryan Martin said.

Helene St. James writes for the Detroit Free Press

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