Wild notes: Injured Spurgeon unable to play Friday

DETROIT – Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who left early in Thursday's loss to Ottawa because of injury, was unable to play Friday against the Red Wings. Nate Prosser, who appeared in his first game since March 17, took his place.

Meanwhile, forwards Thomas Vanek and David Jones returned to the lineup.

Spurgeon was hurt 26 seconds into his second shift of the game — and just three minutes into the game — Thursday, when he blocked a Bobby Ryan shot. Wild coach John Torchetti said Spurgeon, who has a lower-body injury, is day to day.

Vanek was cross-checked Tuesday by Chicago's Viktor Svedberg. He tried to warm up before Thursday's game but was unable to play. Jones had missed the Wild's two previous games because of illness.

Torchetti had the lines of Mikko Koivu -Charlie Coyle-Zach Parise and Erik Haula-Nino Niederreiter-Jason Pominville intact. He put Jones and Vanek on a line with center Mikael Granlund and had Jarret Stoll center Jason Zucker and Justin Fontaine.

If you think Wild players are feeling the pressure of making the playoffs, they've got nothing on the Red Wings.

Joe Louis Arena might be a bit old and run down, but the history is everywhere, with references to all the Stanley Cups the team has won (11); Detroit's locker room is filled with pictures of past greats.

For 24 years the Red Wings have made the playoffs. The last time they were eliminated from playoff elimination — in the spring of 1990 — 10 current Wild players hadn't been born.

The Red Wings entered Friday's game a point behind Boston for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With the season winding down, the pressure is ratcheting up.

"Obviously it's hard not to think about the streak,'' Wings winger Gustav Nyquist said. "I mean, you guys talk about it a lot. We hear about it a lot. So, of course, it's something that's there.''

Said Torchetti: "It's incredible. It says a lot about their organization.''

The Red Wings won only six of 14 games in March.

But, as winger Justin Abdelkader said, focusing on the past won't help the present.

"It's not something we want to continue to discuss," he said. "We know the opportunity we have to get into the playoffs. Once that happens anything can happen.''

Erik Haula 10-game point streak (5-6—11), the longest active streak in the league, ended Friday, leaving him tied for the franchise record. In March 2002 Andrew Brunette, now a Wild assistant coach, had a point in 10 consecutive games, with five goals and 17 points overall.

"I actually didn't know after [Thursday's] game that was even a stat,'' said Haula, who entered the game a plus-22, best on the Wild. "I haven't had time to think about any of that. It's such a tight race here all you have time to think about are wins, about trying to make the playoffs.''