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DETROIT - The last two seasons have been full of drama for the Detroit Red Wings a€” just not in the way the franchise is accustomed to.Coach Mike Babcocks team has had to scramble to extend its streak to 23 consecutive post-season appearances, and although thats certainly a remarkable accomplishment, the Red Wings were hardly considered major contenders for the Stanley Cup. They havent reached the conference finals since 2009, a year after the team won its most recent championship.Detroit lost a franchise-record 421 games to injury last season, so in a sense it was encouraging that the Red Wings were still able to make playoffs. Younger players like Gustav Nyquist showed promise a€” but a five-game loss to Boston in the first round of the post-season suggested there was a wide gap between Detroit and the elite teams.We have a good team and we proved we can do good things last year. We werent 100 per cent healthy, centre Darren Helm said. This year, were hoping to stay healthy and weve got guys that can hopefully gel together.The Red Wings were unable to add any bona fide stars to their roster this off-season, so theyll hope the experience the younger players gained last season will pay dividends. Theyre also counting on better health, especially for some of their aging standouts. Henrik Zetterberg missed two months recovering from back surgery in 2013-14, and Pavel Datsyuk was bothered by an ailing left knee.Daniel Alfredsson, who tied for the team lead with 49 points last season, was nursing a sore back all off-season, and the 41-year-old wingers future remains in doubt.Detroit hopes the team-wide health problems last season at least left the Red Wings with more experienced depth.If you just look at the kids that came up last year and what they did, Zetterberg said. They basically carried us in the playoffs. Now when everyone is healthy here and we have those guys, it is exciting to see what we will do. Well be a fast team this year with a really good mix of old guys and young kids.Here are some things to watch in Detroit this season:BABCOCKS FUTURE: General manager Ken Holland signed a new deal in the off-season through the 2017-18 season. Now the focus turns to Babcock, who has one year remaining on his contract.Theres no doubting Babcocks status among the games top coaches, and keeping him could be crucial for what has been one of the leagues most stable franchises.UP AND COMING: Nyquist led the Red Wings with 28 goals despite playing only 57 games last season, and 23-year-old Tomas Tatar was second with 19.Youngsters Danny DeKeyser, Brendan Smith and Brian Lashoff became a big part of Detroits rotation of defencemen.Our younger guys took huge steps last year, said defenceman Niklas Kronwall, who matched Alfredsson with 49 points. DK, Smitty, Lash a€” these guys played in some big games and got a taste of the playoffs.FRANZENS PRODUCTION: Johan Franzen scored 29 goals in 2011-12 a€” but he has only 30 over the last two seasons combined and has had to deal with concussion problems.I want to be a factor up front, Franzen said. We want to spread it out, but still Im one of the guys that should be scoring.IN GOAL: Goalie Jimmy Howard posted a 2.66 goals-against average last season, the second-worst of his career over a full season. His save percentage also dipped from .923 in 2012-13 to .910.UPGRADES?: Despite the franchises rich history and commitment to winning, Detroit has had a hard time luring top free agents over the last few offseasons. One player the Red Wings did sign in 2013, Stephen Weiss, is hoping to rebound after having sports hernia surgery last season and playing only 26 games.Its great to see the guys healthy, Zetterberg said. 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PETERSBURG, Florida – Its been almost seven years since the Blue Jays last won a series at Tropicana Field.SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco 49ers lost another key defender for the remainder of the season, placing rookie nickel cornerback and top draft pick Jimmie Ward on injured reserve Saturday with a foot injury.It has been a tough week for the defence ahead of Sundays road game against the New York Giants. Ward was hurt in last Sundays overtime win at New Orleans, and its the same foot that needed surgery in March for a Jones fracture.Ward joins seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis on season-ending injured reserve. Willis season was ended Tuesday, and the team announced he would need surgery for a strained muscle in his left big toe. He was injured in the third quarter at St. Louis on Oct. 13.The 49ers (5-4) filled Wards roster spot with star linebacker Aldon Smith, who was added to the 53-man roster from the exempt list after he served a nine-game suspension by the league for violations of the NFLs substance-abuse and personal-conduct policies.He is set to make his season debut against the Giants, though in what capacity is unclear.Even defensive co-ordinator Vic Fangio wasnt sure what to expect from Smith, who also missed five games last season to undergo treatment following his September 20133 DUI arrest.ddddddddddddes a little rusty. Ive heard people say that hes in a better situation than he was last year, Fangio said Thursday. I dont really see it that way because last year he played in three regular-season games and was gone for five weeks.He hadnt played in any regular-season games and hadnt played and missed the first nine games. Its been a long time since hes had action. Hes rusty, but hes a young, good athlete, who I think will get the rust off pretty quickly. Havent really decided how Im going to play him on Sunday, how much.Ward, the 30th overall draft pick out of Northern Illinois, finished with 20 tackles and two passes defenced in eight games.The 49ers have until Monday, at the conclusion of a 21-day evaluation window, to decide whether to activate nose tackle Glenn Dorsey or keep him on IR. He returned to practice Oct. 27 after recovering from a torn left biceps muscle that required surgery.And 2013 starting nose tackle Ian Williams, who was sidelined last year following a Week 2 ankle injury against Seattle, was in a walking boot and using crutches this week for a fractured fibula in his left leg.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '