Detroit Red Wings defenceman Jonathan Ericsson, centre, is helped off the ice by Brian Rafalski, left, and Pavel Datsyuk, right, during their game against the the Phoenix Coyotes in Detroit on Monday. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press)

HNIC's senior online reporter Tim Wharnsby dishes out the latest news, buzz and inside information in the hockey world.

1. Red Wings M*A*S*H unit

The Detroit Red Wings won their third in a row with a 3-2 outcome against Phoenix, but lost yet another top player to injury in defenceman Jonathan Ericsson on Monday. Ericsson has been lost for a minimum two weeks with a left knee injury after a first period collision with Coyotes rugged forward Shane Doan.

The other injured Detroit players include Darren Helm (wrist), Niklas Kronwall (knee), Dan Cleary (shoulder), Johan Franzen (knee), Jason Williams (leg) and Valtteri Filppula (wrist). Helm’s ailment is considered minor and he could return later this week. Filppula would be the next on the injury list to return to action around Christmas.

2. Capital gains

With Michel Nylander and his $4.875-million contract finally buried in the minors for good, the league-leading Washington Capitals have some salary cap space to work with. But Capitals general manager George McPhee stated he has no immediate plans to acquire a player from outside the organization.

Washington coach Bruce Boudreau agreed that "if it ain’t broke, don't fix it."

Instead, young defenceman Karl Alzner has been promoted for now. With the Nylander controversy hanging over the Capitals — he and Boudreau were at odds in a feud that began brewing last season — the team carried only 22 players. The 21-year-old Alzner is a two-time Canadian junior gold medallist. He has played 35 career NHL games over the past two seasons and will get a chance to stay for good.

3. Deslauriers delightful

When Nikolai Khabibulin went down with his back troubles three weeks ago, the feeling was the Edmonton Oilers would go down with their injured goalie. But in has come 25-year Jeff Deslauriers to save the day.

The former Chicoutimi netminder is expected to make his 13th consecutive start when the Oilers return from a franchise record five-game road streak on Tuesday to play host to the Los Angeles Kings. When the Oilers were evicted from Rexall Place for the Canadian Olympic curling trials, Deslauriers put up a spectacular .938 save percentage and 1.96 goals-against average in the road trip that visited Detroit, Dallas, Florida, Tampa Bay and St. Louis.

Overall, Deslauriers has an impressive 8-4-2 record, 2.61 goals-against average and .916 save percentage this season.

4. Hull to be honoured

Before the St. Louis Blues game against Calgary on Tuesday, Brett Hull will be honoured for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame last month. Former Blues Brendan Shanahan, Curtis Joseph, Al MacInnis, Jeff Brown, Garth Butcher, Steve Duchesne, Geoff Courtnall and Bob Bassen are expected to be on hand for the pre-game ceremony.

The Blues haven’t won a Stanley Cup in their 42-year history, but looking back Hull felt the team was close in the early 1990s.

"It's hard just looking at the people we had over the years," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "If we had kept everyone together and grown the pieces around the main core, we could have had a chance. But hindsight is 20-20, so you don't know."

5. Cherry will wait until Saturday

When Don Cherry was reached on Monday for his reaction to Toronto neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Tator’s claim that Cherry is "a negative influence" and that "the aggressive, lack-of-respect hockey that he preaches — we need to get that out of the game," Cherry said that he will wait until his Coach’s Corner segment on Saturday to address the charges.

At a concussion seminar in Regina last weekend, Tator, an expert on brain injuries, said hockey culture needs to change and Cherry could influence that. "If he took a strong stand against no hits to the head, it would help," said Tator, who did note that Cherry was a strong voice to reduce serious neck injuries in hockey by stiffening rules about hitting from behind years ago.