Still needing to prove he can play 30-plus games for the Red Wings, Howard picked up wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Canucks on consecutive nights with goalie Chris Osgood sidelined with the flu.

"What needed to happen for Jimmy is what happened here — throwing up two one-goal games," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.

Howard, 25, made 31 saves against the Canucks, who have had trouble scoring of late.

"He was way better tonight because he had more action and he was relaxed," Babcock said. "He is all like all young players … when you are overthinking, you press."

Howard has won three of his last four starts and led the Red Wings to overtime in the other.

"It's been a great step in the right direction, but I still feel I have a lot to work on," Howard said.

Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom agreed with the idea that this was perhaps Howard's best effort. "He made the big saves at the right time," Lidstrom said.

Babcock has reason to be as interested in Luongo's performance as Howard's effort because Babcock will be coaching Team Canada at the Vancouver Olympic games. Luongo is expected to be one of Canada's three goalies, and this was his first start since fracturing his ribs against Detroit on Oct. 27.

"I'm back to my regular workload and I thought my timing was good tonight," Luongo said. "I wasn't having any trouble reading the play. I'm back to where I was before the injury. … That's a big part of my game."

Luongo gave up the winning goal in the third period on a top-shelf backhander from Henrik Zetterberg cutting in from the outside.

"He put it right under the bar," Luongo said. "Not many guys can do that, only a handful of guys in the whole league."

Also at the game was Red Wings executive Steve Yzerman, who is Team Canada's executive director and will play a prominent role in selecting the Canadian team on Dec. 31

"(Luongo) is a big man and he just has to get himself healthy and get playing and he will be fine," Babcock said. "But I thought he did a good job."

Enlarge By Carlos Osorio, AP Vancouver's Mikael Samuelsson, a former Red Wing, brushes by Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard in the second period.