DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings (10-10-1) will be without their most important player this season when they host the Montreal Canadiens (15-4-2) Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena.Goaltender Jimmy Howard, who has been outstanding in 2016-17, left Friday nights 5-4 overtime win over the New Jersey Devils midway through the first period with a groin injury.Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Howard is expected to miss about a week.Howard has a 1.82 goals-against average and .940 save percentage and is 5-5-0.Petr Mrazek got the win in relief Friday.With Petr to come in and make the saves and get the win, I think can do similar for him what the Buffalo win did for us on Wednesday, and thats build his confidence and hopefully he can come out with a real good outing tomorrow, Blashill said. When you havent played a bunch in a little bit and its not going your way to get in there and get a W is great thing for Pete.Mrazek has started only one of the past nine games. He allowed four goals in each of his past four starts, going 0-3-1, before stopping 13-of-16 shots Friday.He is 5-5-1, with a 3.18 goals-against average and .897 save percentage.We know Petrs a big-time goalie in this league, Blashill said. I know its a young career, but hes proven that lots of times. Ive got tons of belief in Petr. Now he gets a chance to go tomorrow night and win a big hockey game for us.Mrazek said he is ready.I work hard with Jeff (goaltending coach Salajko) on the ice, so Ive been working hard to be ready every game, Mrazek said.The team is recalling goalie Jared Coreau from the AHLs Grand Rapids Griffins.The Canadiens are coming off a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday and begin a five-game road trip Saturday.Its a trip thats coming at just the right time for us, Montreal coach Michel Therrien told the Canadiens website. Its going to be tough. Well face good teams, and Im eager to see how we respond. Weve been playing with confidence, but well take things one game at a time,Said Canadiens goalie Carrie Price: Were happy to have this time together. And also to enjoy a bit of sun.The trip also takes Montreal to Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles.The Canadiens also sustained an injury on Friday.Forward Charles Hudon suffered an upper-body injury during practice Friday morning and did not travel to Detroit as a precautionary measure.Since being called up from the St. Johns IceCaps on Nov., 17, the 22-year-old has a pair of assists in three games.Defenseman Mike Green got the overtime winner for the Red Wings on Friday, Frans Nielsen scored twice and Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha also scored to give Detroit a modest two-game winning streak. Nelson Cruz Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Jason Castro Twins Jersey . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. http://www.twinssale.com/twins-paul-molitor-jersey/ . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Justin Morneau Jersey . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Jose Berrios Jersey . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. WASHINGTON -- Bryce Harper returned to the lineup, but neither his bat nor spot starter A.J. Cole helped the Washington Nationals in their pursuit of home-field advantage opening the playoffs.Christian Yelich homered and Dee Gordons infield single in the sixth inning scored the go-ahead run as the Miami Marlins beat the NL East champion Nationals 6-4 on Friday night.The game began following a 1 hour, 43 minute rain delay. The series opener came a day after a memorial service in Florida for Jose Fernandez. The Marlins ace died in a boating accident Sunday.Washington entered its final series of the season with a two-game lead on the Los Angeles Dodgers for home field advantage in the NL Division Series. Los Angeles played at San Francisco on Friday night.Harper went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts in his return to the Nationals lineup after sitting out the previous four days with a left thumb injury.He was rusty, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said of the right fielder. Weve got to get that rust off him before we start the playoffs.Harper said of his plate appearances, I felt great. My swing felt great.Anthony Rendon and Stephen Drew hit back-to-back home runs for Washington in a four-run fourth after Miami scored twice in the top of the inning for a 4-0 lead.Miami used five relievers including Mike Dunn (6-1). A.J. Ramos pitched the ninth for his 40th save.Sammy Solis (2-4) allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings for Washington.The Nationals honored Fernandez with a pregame video montage, by placing his No. 16 behind the pitchers mound and his jersey in their dugout. A mutual tipping of the caps across the field between players from both teams occurred as well.Nice touch by the Nationals, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of the mound gesture. It seems like everyone has that feel for Jose. The way he carried himself and the fun that he had was really what you loved so much about him, that little kid, and that part is what seems like has taken hold on a lot of people around baseball and a lot of people around the country.Neither starting pitcher went beyond four innings and both allowed four runs. Two runs off Cole, the first of eight pitchers for Washington, were unearned.Cole, who lasted three innings, is awaiting appeal of his five-game suspension for thhrowing behind Pittsburghs Jung Ho Kang on Sunday.ddddddddddddMiamis Andrew Cashner unraveled in the fourth, allowing five hits and one walk. Jose Lobotons RBI double and Trea Turners run-scoring single in the fourth tied the game 4-4.Over the final five innings, the Nationals went 0 for 15 with 10 strikeouts and one walk.Left fielder Jayson Werth left as a precaution in the seventh inning with back tightness. He anticipates playing Saturday.Were playing for home-field advantage, which is important. But once you win the division, theres that exhale and sigh of relief, Werth said. Theres a balance there and you err on the side of caution.Yelich drove in two runs. Justin Bour had a double and two RBI singles and he scored on the hustling Gordons single off Oliver Perez.Rendon became the sixth National with at least 20 home runs this season. The 1965 Milwaukee Braves, 2003 Atlanta Braves and 2016 St. Louis Cardinals, who reached the mark later Friday, are the only other NL teams in history with six 20-plus homers.HEARTFELT MESSAGEThe Arizona Diamondbacks occupied the visitors locker room this week before Miami arrived. When the Marlins arrived, they found a touching note on a dry erase board regarding the loss of Fernandez. Dee Gordon had the most important HR of the year. Good luck fellas. Were (sic) praying for you. RIP. JF 16 -- DBacks.BABY ON BOARDNationals OF Chris Heisey is away from the team as he returned home for the birth of his second child. He is the second player on the team to leave for this reason in recent weeks. This team is a baby-making team, Baker cracked. Heisey is expected back in Washington on Saturday.TRAINERS ROOMMarlins: Mattingly said LHP Adam Conley, who came off the DL on Monday to throw three shutout innings, will be available the last two days of the season. Conley missed more than six weeks with a finger injury.Nationals: 2B Daniel Murphy (glute muscle), who last began a game on Sept. 17, isnt expected back in the starting lineup until Game 1 of the NLDS.UP NEXTMarlins LHP Wei-Yin Chen (5-4, 5.02) is set to face Nationals RHP Tanner Roark (15-10, 2.86), who needs a win to set a career-high. ' ' '