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Toews out of tonight’s game, Datsyuk to miss two weeks after knee surgery

Pavel Datsyuk, Jonathan Toews

Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk (13), from Russia, and Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) go after the puck in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Detroit, Friday, April 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

AP

Tonight’s game on NBCSN between Detroit and Chicago is going to be missing a bit of firepower from both the Blackhawks and Red Wings.

Tracey Myers of CSNChicago.com reports that Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will be a scratch tonight thanks to what the team is calling an upper-body injury. Myers says the injury is not the same injury that was nagging him before the All-Star break and he’s listed as day-to-day. Toews is second on the team in points and the team’s top centerman. Taking his spot will be relative new guy Brendan Morrison.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings will be without All-Star center Pavel Datsyuk for a bit longer. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that Datsyuk will miss the next two weeks of action after having arthroscopic knee surgery. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said he was happier that Datsyuk had the procedure done now so his knee wouldn’t bother him in the playoffs.

It’s a smart decision with that in mind, but in the short term it’ll be tough for the Wings to make up for what Datsyuk can do. Datsyuk leads the team with 59 points and was recently voted by the NHLPA as one of the best forwards in the league in a number of categories.

Henrik Zetterberg will take Datsyuk’s spot on the top line while Valtteri Filppula slides over to center to take Zetterberg’s spot on the second line. With Dan Cleary back and feeling better the Wings won’t need to call up anyone from the minors for now.