Wings hold on to beat

DETROIT -- Gustav Nyquist is making the most of his opportunity to play a lot for the injury-depleted Detroit Red Wings. Jose Siri Jersey . Nyquist had two goals and Jimmy Howard made 31 saves to help the Red Wings hold on to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday night. The 24-year-old Nyquist has 19 goals in 43 games after he had a total of four goals in 40 games spread out over the previous two seasons in the league. Entering the game against Toronto, he was tied with Bostons Jarome Iginla with an NHL-high 12 goals since Jan. 20. "I didnt know that," Nyquist said. "Im just playing with some good players and Im getting some good bounces." While Nyquist is being humble about his goal-scoring stretch, teammate Daniel Alfredsson raved about the fellow Swede. "Hes really pesky on the forecheck and hes making a lot of plays," Alfredsson said. "His speed gives him chances that other players dont get. The second goal was a perfect example." Early in the third period, Nyquist poked the puck off the boards to himself and charged up the ice early to flick a wrist shot from the right circle that beat James Reimers blocker. That goal seemed to set the Red Wings up for the victory, but they still had work to do. Jake Gardiner scored on a power play midway through the third to pull Toronto within a goal. The Maple Leafs appeared to tie the game less than two minutes later, but Nazem Kardris goal was waved off because he made a kicking motion to knock the puck in with the inside of his right skate. The Red Wings went ahead by two goals again with 2:33 left when Alfredssons wrist shot from the slot hit the back of the net on an odd-man rush that Gardiner lamented. "I thought we were going to come back at the end, but we made a mistake," Gardiner said. The Maple Leafs pulled Reimer to add an extra skater seconds later and James van Riemsdyk scored with 1:13 left, but couldnt get the puck past Howard again to extend the game past regulation. "Not a lot of space out on the ice," Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. Reimer stopped 28 shots for the Maple Leafs. Detroit is desperately trying to move up in the Eastern Conference standings to extend its post-season streak to 23 with a fraction of the team it expected to have this season. Toronto is the first of two wild-card teams in the East, and the Red Wings wouldnt make the playoffs is they started Wednesday. "A huge win for us," Nyquist said. "Also very important they didnt get a point too and we got two." The Red Wings lost forward Justin Abdelkader to a leg laceration in Sundays loss at Chicago, leading to the team calling up 22-year-old Landon Ferraro, son of former NHL player Ray Ferraro. "I was a little nervous at the beginning," Landon Ferraro acknowledged. Ferraro said it was "awesome" to have both his parents watch him play his first game for the Red Wings. "It was real nice for both of them to be able to get in and be here for this," he said before chatting with his father in the dressing room after the game. Abdelkaders injury also put 25-year-old defenceman Brendan Smith at forward for the first time since he was a teenager against Toronto. The banged-up team, which had won just two of their previous seven games, took another hit against the Maple Leafs. The Red Wings started the game with numerous forwards, including Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, due to injuries and lost defenceman Jonathan Ericsson because of a broken finger. "We get somebody hurt every day and they never come back," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "I guess hes out for a bit. I dont really know. A hand specialist is looking at him." NOTES: The Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings in their previous meeting, a 3-2 shootout on New Years Day in the Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, after losing the first matchup this season 5-4 in a shootout at home. ... Abdelkader is expected to be out for two weeks. ... Toronto, which closed its road trip 2-3, hosts Tampa Bay on Wednesday. ... Detroits next game is Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Aristides Aquino Jersey . The Montreal Alouettes announced Tuesday that they have acquired the return specialist from Calgary, as well as the Stampeders fifth-round draft pick in the 2014 CFL Canadian Draft. Phillip Ervin Jersey .twitter.com/TeZD3KOvlA — Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) September 24, 2014 Sorry for the delay, we just got back from lunch at Papa Vons #NBAFastFood pic.TORONTO - Helio Castroneves purses his lips and smiles. Will Power looks away to contemplate what it will take to win the title that has eluded both drivers their entire careers. The two IndyCar veterans are duelling for the elusive championship this year, with Castroneves ahead of his Team Penske teammate by just nine points atop the standings. Its a familiar scenario for Castroneves ahead of the Honda Indy Toronto on Saturday and Sunday. He entered the Toronto races first overall in 2013 only to eventually cede the title to Scott Dixon. But this could be Castroneves year. The 39-year-old Brazilian yearns for a championship. "More than anything, my friend," said Castroneves. "More than anything." Castroneves lost by just 27 points to Dixon last year after being undone by a disastrous doubleheader in Houston where Dixon finished first and second, respectively. He also settled for second behind Sam Hornish Jr. in 2002, his first full season in the Indy Racing League after four seasons in Champ Car. Both series merged in 2008. Power has come even closer. The 33-year-old Australian finished second overall every year between 2010 and 2012. Power could taste the title in 2012, but he crashed at Fontana. His team scrambled to get him back on track, but Ryan Hunter-Reay edged Power out in a dramatic season finale. He doesnt want another year of being IndyCars bridesmaid. "Its going to be a tight race to the end. But man, Im doing everything I can," said Power. "Im determined to win the thing. Really determined." The Penske cars, always a formidable presence in the series, have been consistently dominant this season as the team looks to end an eight-year title drought. Power began the season on a tear. He won the season opener at St. Petersburg and again at one of the Detroit races. He was on the podium five times and never finished out of the top-10 in the first eight races. But penalties have hampered Powers season. Hes been charged five times so far, some more costly than others. At the Grand Prix of Indianapolis he hit pit equipment and was dropped out of contention. Later at Pocono on July 6 he was charged with blocking Castroneves. "The only one that cost me was the one at Pocono," said Power. "Double points, man that was like actually a 40-point swing right there, which is (a) pretty bad hit." Powers last four results have also been poor — 14th and 11th at Houston, 10th at Pocono and 14th in Iowa. He nearly won the second race at Houston but had to pit with a broken suspension just two laps from the finish. George Foster Jersey. Power has two career wins at Toronto in 2007 and 2010. Castroneves, who took over the overall lead last Sunday at Iowa with an eighth-place finish, has just one win so far after splitting the Detroit doubleheader with Power. But Castroneves has been consistent. Hes been on pole twice, stepped onto the podium five times and has nine top-10 finishes in 12 races so far. Last year Castroneves, who has never won in Toronto, made a breakthrough with a second-place finish in the second race behind Dixon. "I feel this place owns me," said Castroneves. "We start on the pole, finish second, finish all over the place. ... This place always helps a lot in terms of strategy. Some people in the back sometimes take chances and they end up paying off, but it all depends. "We can only try to predict the unpredicted, which is hopefully start in the front, stay in the front if the race goes that way and then collect a lot of points." Points are becoming ever-more precious as the season winds down. Six races remain ahead of the Aug. 30 finale at Fontana, and at least 100 could be won by a driver who sweeps the 85-lap, 2.81-kilometre street course at Exhibition Place. Theres also plenty of time for another driver to steal the title from Castroneves and Power. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who has three wins including one at Iowa, trails Castroneves by just 32 points. Simon Pagenaud and Penskes Juan Pablo Montoya are also within 100 points of first place. Power and Castroneves both say theyre trying to balance a focus on racing with an awareness of the standings. "Youre just thinking every session," said Power. "Youre thinking about getting the car right and having good weekends. Not even that, every session youre thinking about, every lap. Doing it right, thats it." Castroneves added its hard to not get overwhelmed by the numbers. "Sounds not a lot when you say six races to go, but points involved its a lot and with that aspect, not that I dont look ahead, but youve got to push through to make sure that you finish ahead of those important (drivers). ...," said Castroneves. "Youve got to actually save for a rainy day in case that something bad happens, you have enough to cover for the last race." It might just take the last race for the championship to be decided. --- Follow @tyler_harper on Twitter ' ' '