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(Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings' playoff chances didn't seem too good prior to the Olympic break, but a season-high winning streak has helped to change that. Three matchups in nine days with the Columbus Blue Jackets shouldn't hurt either.

Detroit seeks a seventh straight victory when it hosts Columbus tonight at Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings had lost four of their final five games before the Winter Olympics and were hovering around the ninth spot in the Western Conference. However, Detroit has gone 12-2-1 since and has jumped into sixth place in the West, a point behind fifth-seeded Nashville with two games in hand. The Red Wings also own a six-point edge over ninth-place Calgary as they inch closer to their 19th straight postseason berth.

While three of Detroit's final six games of the regular season are against playoff-caliber teams -- Nashville, Philadelphia and Chicago -- it also will play Columbus three times prior to the end of the season.

The Red Wings are 2-0-1 versus the Blue Jackets this season and have won eight of the last 12 meetings, including five of the last six played at Detroit. The Blue Jackets did earn a victory in the last meeting on Dec. 28 behind a 34- save shutout by Steve Mason.

Jimmy Howard made 39 saves for the Red Wings in that one and has a 0.98 goals- against average and .968 save percentage in the three games versus Columbus this season.

In his 23rd straight start, Howard made 22 saves in Tuesday's 5-4 triumph over Edmonton as Detroit extended its longest winning streak of the season to six games despite blowing a four-goal lead. Andreas Lilja, Niklas Kronwall and Drew Miller scored in the first period and Johan Franzen added a second-period goal to stake the Red Wings to a 4-0 edge.

However, the Red Wings surrendered the next four goals before escaping with a win when Brad Stuart re-directed a Pavel Datsyuk shot with 1:07 left to play.

"We kind of let them back in the game," " Stuart said. "The bottom line is we found a way to get two points, and that's the most important thing this time of year,

The Red Wings, who haven't ripped off seven straight victories since an eight- game run from Jan. 17-Feb. 5, 2008, won the opener of a three-game homestand for their sixth victory in a row at Joe Louis Arena.

The Blue Jackets picked up their second straight victory and third in four games on Tuesday, when they rallied for a 3-2 triumph over Tampa Bay. Rick Nash's second goal of the game near the midway point of the third period completed the rally, and Fedor Tyutin also lit the lamp in the third.

"We got into some penalty trouble, but in between periods we knew we weren't playing well and you know, a lot of guys stood up and said stuff and we knew the third was going to be our best," Nash said.

Mason made 16 saves for Columbus, which is 14th in the West with 77 points after making the postseason for the first time in club history last year. Coincidentally, the Blue Jackets were swept out of last season's first round by Detroit.

Though Mason did post a shutout over the Red Wings in the teams' last meeting, he was also rocked for eight goals on 27 shots in a 9-1 home defeat versus the Red Wings on Nov. 11. Mason is just 20-23-8 with a 3.13 GAA and .898 save percentage in 54 games this season after winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie last year.