Red Wings' Jimmy Howard Scratched With Back Spasms; Joey MacDonald Recalled
The Detroit Red Wings have recalled goaltender Joey MacDonald from Grand Rapids and will use him as a backup tonight against Phoenix.
Chris Osgood will get the start instead of Jimmy Howard, who had been slated to play. Howard experienced back spasms following the morning skate and was removed from the lineup as a precaution, general manager Ken Holland said.
Osgood is 1-1 this season with a 3.03 goals-against average and .860 save percentage.
To make room under the salary cap and on the roster for MacDonald, forward Kris Draper was placed on long-term injured reserve, which means he has to miss at least 10 games and 24 days. That's not much of an issue, considering he's out 4-6 weeks after sports hernia surgery.
