PHILADELPHIA — The Detroit Red Wings lost one of their most important players during warmups Tuesday.
Goaltender Jimmy Howard, who has been a key reason the Wings are hunting a playoff spot, was not able to play after his back seized up before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.
There was no immediate word on how much time Howard may miss.
The Wings had to use Philadelphia’s emergency goaltender as backup — standard protocol for visiting teams when one of its own goaltenders cannot be recalled in time.