Central Division notebook:

Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

That is the message the Detroit RedWings are sending to their potential playoff foes and the message that they have been sending since the Olympic break.

Just a couple short months ago, the Red Wings' presence in the playoffs was anything but assured. On Feb. 10, the Wings were languishing in 10th place in the West, mired in a rash of injuries to some of their most important players.

By April 1, they are just one point out of the fifth spot in the West and have whittled their magic number down to five.

That's one heck of an April fool's joke.

Actually, the biggest prank the Red Wings pulled on the NHL was convincing observers they were sliding backwards. You could say that the ship started righting itself in their last game before the Olympic break, a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. It was then that Detroit showed flashes of a team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals two seasons in a row.

Then, the Olympic break hit, allowing their injured players who were not participating in Vancouver () time to heal. Since the break, Detroit is 12-2-1, a remarkable run that includes just three total losses in one month. They have averaged 3.6 goals per game during this time while giving up just 2.3.

"I think we're really starting to show how we want to be playing the game, like we have in the past few years here," Niklas Kronwall told the Detroit Free Press. "We're playing more quickly on defense -- any time anyone gets into our zone, we've been doing a better job getting to the puck and making the first tape-to-tape pass a lot quicker. So instead of spending 30-40 seconds in your own zone, now we're on offense instead much quicker."

The change has shown both in their play and their confidence on the ice -- confidence that is expected to carry over into the playoffs.

"I think Chicago's probably the best team in the West, but San Jose might be," head coach Mike Babcock told NHL.com. "I guess that's what I'm trying to say is, I don't know if you interview 10 people if they'd all give you the same three. That's how tight the league is now and obviously with our experience, if we can get into the tournament, we feel we have a chance."

With the way that Detroit is playing now, it might be better than just a chance.

CHICAGO

The Blackhawks broke their three-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Wild. The team will finish its three-game road trip on Friday against the New Jersey Devils. ... F Ben Eager had a career-high three-point night in the victory over Minnesota. It was his second multi-point game of the season. ... Chicago's defense has struggled since losing Brian Campbell to injury on March 14. The ‘Hawks have had to shuffle their penalty killing and power-play lines, as well as their defensive pairings. ... G Antti Niemi has been anointed as the team's number one goaltender over Cristobal Huet heading into the playoffs. Niemi responded in this vote of confidence by gaining his seventh shutout of the season on Wednesday.

COLUMBUS

Interim head coach Claude Noel may have coached his way into a job next season. The Blue Jackets are 10-5-4 under Noel. ... A player-driven movement is taking place in the Blue Jackets locker room, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Aaron Portzline reports that captain Rick Nash and veteran R.J. Umberger are hammering home to this young team that their fans deserve to see them finish the season hard. This could also bode well for next season, as Columbus could be dangerous with a little confidence. ... G Steve Mason is beginning to show the promise that won him the Calder Trophy last season. Under former head coach Ken Hitchcock, Mason was 13-18-6 with a 3.27 goals-against average and .890 save percentage. Under Noel, Mason is 7-5-2 with a 2.93 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. ... Columbus plays the first of three games against the Detroit Red Wings to finish the season on Thursday.

NASHVILLE

Predators prospect Blake Geoffrion has been named a finalist for the NCAA Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the nation's top college hockey player. Geoffrion had 27 goals and 21 assists for the University of Wisconsin this season. This marks the second straight year that a Predators prospect has been named a finalist to the award. ... The Nashville Predators Hockey School will run from July 12-16 this summer. The camp allows children to learn about hockey with members of the Predators staff, as well as Predators prospects and players. ... G Pekka Rinne is rounding into playoff form, going 7-2-1 since being named as the team's number one goaltender. ... The Predators need just three more points to clinch their fifth playoff berth in franchise history. ... A gassed Predators team dropped Tuesday's against the Los Angeles Kings, 2-0, after a month that saw the team play 17 total games. They'll get some rest in April, with just four games heading towards the playoffs.

ST. LOUIS

Forward Paul Kariya will not play against the Nashville Predators in a key Central Division match up on Thursday. Kariya suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Blackhawks and is day-to-day. ... St. Louis has signed D Brett Ponich to an entry-level contract. Ponich, the 48^th overall pick in the 2009 Entry Draft, will remain with his junior team, the Portland Winterhawks, through the remainder of the WHL playoffs. ... F Patrik Berglund, who missed Saturday's practice with an "unexcused absence," apologized to his teammates on Monday. Berglund was a healthy scratch in Sunday's game against the Edmonton Oilers after his phone battery died and he overslept. ... The Blues' playoff chances may be slim, but hope springs eternal as the team continues its winning ways. Their "tragic" number is seven points and they sit six points behind the eighth-seed Colorado Avalanche.

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