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DETROIT -- Jonas Gustavsson appears to finally be over his injury woes. The backup goaltender was hobbled by groin injuries for much of the lockout shortened campaign last year, after being signed by the Red Wings as a free agent. And when this season began Gustavsson again found himself on injured reserve with another groin pull. But he has been outstanding in two consecutive wins in two days. The latest was Tuesday nights 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, in which Gustavsson made 36 saves. "I felt good. We had a game yesterday, so back-to-back, and that was the first couple of games that I played so that was different," Gustavsson said. "Its just a matter of preparing yourself and be ready to go out and have a good first period because thats usually the key in these kind of games." Gustavsson is in the lineup due to No. 1 goalie Jimmy Howards sore hand. Gustavsson backstopped Detroit to a 3-2 win in Boston on Monday afternoon. His biggest save on Tuesday night was a spectacular stop on Columbus defenceman Jack Johnson, sliding across the crease to smother a backhand shot from the right circle with 5:20 left to preserve the Red Wings lead. "I dont know if I couldnt get a good push or if I got caught with one of our or their guys, but I had to do something to get some part of my body over there," Gustavsson said. "Lucky enough that was enough." Red Wings coach Mike Babcock talked about Guistavsson. "Really good for him, first and foremost, and then really good for us. If he can get his confidence back, the reason we signed him was we thought he could really help us," Babcock said. "Tonight and last night, going back to back, will go a long way to doing it. You got to stay healthy and feel good about yourself. In this league you got to earn it and hes done that the last couple nights." Daniel Alfredsson scored his first goal as a Red Wing and Todd Bertuzzi got the game winner. Henrik Zetterberg had two assists. Cam Atkinson scored for Columbus and Sergei Bobrobsky made 30 saves. "I thought we deserved a better fate," Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. "I thought the guys worked real hard and I saw a lot of good things." Bertuzzis power-play goal gave the Red Wings a 2-1 with 8:46 left in the middle period. He scored from just outside the crease for his second goal. Atkinson put the Blue Jackets on the board and tied the game 7:48 into the second period with an unassisted power-play goal. It was a spectacular individual effort as Atkinson carried the puck the length of the ice, bulled past Detroit defenceman Dan DeKeyser, got off one shot and then jammed the rebound past Gustavsson. It was Atkinsons second goal. "I just used my speed to my benefit and kind of just went with it," Atkinson said. Alfredsson gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead 5:05 into the game when he blasted a slap shot past Bobrovsky from the left circle. Detroit led 1-0 after the first period, despite being outshot 18-7. Notes: Petr Mrazek was recalled from Grand Rapids of the AHL earlier in the day to back up Gustavsson. .. .Columbus D James Wisniewski is a native of the Detroit-area suburb Canton and played his junior hockey with the suburban-Detroit based Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League. .. Blue Jackets D Johnson is from Ann Arbor and played at the University of Michigan. .. The start of the game was pushed back 30 minutes to 8 p.m. because of the Detroit Tigers American League Championship Series game against the Boston Red Sox, which began at 4 p.m. at Comerica Park. .. Blue Jackets RW Jared Boll also played with the OHLs Plymouth Whalers. .. Detroit sent C Darren Helm to Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint. He hasnt played this season and played only one game last season due to a sore back. . Columbus C Matt Calvert underwent abdominal surgery and is out for six weeks. Authentic Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys . 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Cheap Eagles Jerseys . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason.Ive got to admit, when I heard Casey Janssen was going on the disabled list with a lower back strain, the first thought running through my mind was here we go again. It seemed just like the past two seasons, where an onslaught of injuries derailed both seasons. At least this time, the injury to the veteran closer doesnt appear to be that series and if there is any area the Blue Jays have depth in its the pen. For now, at least, Sergio Santos, whos had to deal with two injury-plagued seasons of his own since coming back to the Jays, will get the chance to close. I did a little digging and found out that only four of the 15 teams in the American League are starting the season with the same closer they had a year ago. That would be Boston with Koji Uehara, the Royals with Greg Holland, Minnesota with Glen Perkins and the Angels with Ernest Fieri. The Red Sox and the Blue Jays, once Janssen gets healthy, will have the same closers. The Yankees, thanks to the retirement of the great Mariano Rivera, have handed the reins over to right-hander David Robertson. Tampa Bay let Fernando Rodney walk as a free agent and then picked up former As closer Grant Balfour and another one-time closer in Heath Bell. Baltimore dealt their star closer Jimmie Johnson to Oakland and then decided to make veteran starter/reliever Tommy Hunter into their closer. For this year, at least, there is far greater closer stability. Only three of the 15 teams - St. Louis, Arizona and the Cubs - are starting with different closers than they had at the beginning of last season. The Reds would actually be a fourth, as Aroldis Chapman is on the disabled list after taking a line drive just above the eye in spring training but he will be back this season. Its no secret; if the Blue Jays are going to contend for a wild card spot at the very least, theyve got to put up a winning record against their own division. If you look at the last four years since Alex Anthopoulos took over as general manager, the Jays have only been above .500 versus the AL East once. They went 39-33 against their own division in 2010, Cito Gastons final year as skipper. That season, Tampa Bay was the only club that finished better without the division at 42-30.dddddddddddd. In 2011, they went 33-39, in 2012 they were 29-43, and last year they went 30-46, which was the worst of the five teams within the division. Over that four year span within the East, Tampa has had the best record, averaging 42 wins per season and never worse than second best in terms of wins within the division. The Blue Jays are actually tied with Baltimore for the fewest wins inside the division over the past four years at 131. I found another interesting stat surrounding the last four years - the Blue Jays less than stellar record against left handers. Three of those last four years they have the worst record in the division against southpaws. Only in 2011 were they above .500 versus lefties with a mark of 23-19. Their cumulative record against left-handers over the past four years is 76-93. So, if you cant win enough within your own division and you cant beat lefties consistently, youre not going to be a contender. One final note on the Jays and the American League East. From August 22 on this season, the Jays play 28 of their final 35 against their own division, including six against Boston, seven versus the Yankees, six against Baltimore and nine against Tampa Bay. The only respite is a three game series against the Cubs at home in early September and then a four game series at home; the final week of the season against Seattle. So this is the season the Jays just prove they can beat the East. Better luck against lefties wouldnt hurt either. This is one of the tougher seasons to try and call the American League East, but right now Tampa Bay looks like the class of the division followed by the Yankees (if Tanaka and Pineda are for real), Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles, though if those two flip-flopped it wouldnt surprise me either. Check me in October. I mentioned former Blue Jays catcher Yan Gomes in my last article. Cleveland obviously is impressed with the first Brazilian ever to make it to the Majors. They signed him to a six-year deal that included two option years worth $23 million. I cant ever remember a team trading two catchers as the Jays did in the same off-season - Gomes and Travis DArnaud - and have them both become number one catchers so quickly. ' ' '