Jimmy Howard appears ready to return to the Detroit Red Wings.
The veteran goalie stopped all 21 shots he faced Tuesday as the Grand Rapids Griffins blanked the San Antonio Rampage 3-0 at the AT&T Center.
Howard, who has been out since December with a sprained knee, enjoyed the best of four rehab starts with the Griffins in his first AHL shutout since 2009.
In four starts, Howard had a 2.11 goals against average and .920 save percentage over two stints interrupted by a setback to is knee. He went 3-1 in the starts. He also stopped 32 shots Saturday in a 5-2 win at Texas.