Red Wings and San Jose clash at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday

The Detroit Red Wings have won five straight to build a 10-point lead in the Central Division. The San Jose Sharks have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL over the last month, but are still in a precarious position.

The Sharks are the club in greater need of points as they open a three-game road trip against the Red Wings.

Detroit (37-16-6) has the third-highest point total in the league and trails Vancouver by five for the Western Conference lead. The Red Wings are on their longest run since winning seven in a row March 20-April 1, 2010.

The Red Wings won a defensive battle after scoring 20 goals over their previous four games. Dan Cleary has six points during the team’s five-game run.

Both clubs excel on the power play, with San Jose at 22.8 percent and Detroit at 20.8. The Sharks have three power-play goals in their last two contests following an 0-for-11 drought, while the Red Wings are in a 6-for-50 slump.

Detroit’s Jimmy Howard has a league-leading 30 victories and is 3-1-1 with a 2.56 GAA in his career against San Jose.