DETROIT -- There were times last season, particularly during a rough stretch for the Detroit Red Wings in November, that longtime goaltending coach Jim Bedard had to remind Jimmy Howard about Howard's first full season in Detroit.
Bedard remembers one game in particular -- Jan. 26, 2010. The Red Wings were up 4-2 against the Phoenix Coyotes in the third period, when Howard gave up two quick goals in the final minute and a half, first on a power-play goal from Keith Yandle, then the equalizer courtesy of Ed Jovanovski with just 23 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Red Wings went on to lose that game when Shane Doan notched the winner in overtime, but Howard didn't seem rattled.
In the back room after the loss, Bedard, Howard and former Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood gathered for a quick beer. What impressed Bedard was what he heard next from the then-25-year-old netminder.
"Well, back to work tomorrow," Howard had said.
Just like that, Howard turned the page on what could've been a spirit-sapping defeat and adjusted his focus forward. That provided a helpful glimpse into what would help Howard succeed in the years to come in Detroit.
That sort of short memory is now more critical than ever with the 30-year-old Howard eager to bounce back from a frustrating 2013-14 season. Hampered by injury, Howard posted an underwhelming 21-19-11 record, with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
When asked before the team's regular-season opener last week about his goal for the year ahead, Howard answered swiftly with the certitude of someone who has been contemplating the question long and hard through the summer months.
"I want to be back to where I was a couple seasons ago. It's as simple as that."Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, on his goal for this season
"I want to be back to where I was a couple seasons ago. It's as simple as that," Howard said. "It's not about reinventing the wheel or splitting the atom. It's just about going out there and stopping pucks."
With a transition underfoot in Detroit -- from a star-studded cast with a significant veteran presence to a lineup infused with a strong dose of youth, speed and skill -- Howard will need to be a steadying presence between the pipes.
Those who have watched him develop throughout the years in Detroit are convinced that he is poised to do just that. He approached this summer with a renewed sense of purpose toward his training and health.
He became more conscientious about his diet and even incorporated Pilates into his six-times-a-week workout regimen. He entered camp looking fit and ready.
Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was pleased with what he saw.
"When I talk to him, he's feeling way better. He's got himself looked after, he really trained hard this summer and really feels good about himself, so I think that's a big part of feeling good," Babcock said. "He obviously takes a lot of pride in being a good pro. We need him to be great."
This is not to say that Howard was ever the type of player whose work ethic was questioned. In fact, quite the contrary.
"He's always going 100 percent. Every practice, every game, every off-ice session," backup netminder Jonas Gustavsson told ESPN.com after working out with Howard this summer.
Howard fits into the Red Wings' ideal, workhorse-type mentality -- an identity that has been a constant throughout the team's winning tradition and further cultivated under Babcock's tenure as coach.
"Mike always preaches about guys being 'everyday-ers,'" explained Bedard, who is in his 17th season coaching with Detroit. "Jimmy Howard's an everyday-er."
Every single shot, every single day, Howard tries his best. Never a day off. Never puts himself on cruise control.
That sort of vigilance helps him even within the game as well.
Osgood, who now works as an analyst for Fox Sports Detroit, said he noticed a small adjustment that Howard made in one of the team's first games of the season. Howard was scored on early on one particular sequence while playing pretty deep in the net. A few minutes later, a near-identical play developed. This time, Howard came out another foot or two and made a nice glove save to stop the puck.
"I think he's at the stage of his career where he's gotten really intelligent in his play and making corrections," Osgood told ESPN.com. "He doesn't overthink anything. He's in a perfect spot of his career. He just has to stay healthy."
Dealing with the injuries last season -- not just his own, but the entire M.A.S.H. unit that was the Red Wings' lineup -- might end up serving Howard well in the long run, Osgood believes. He learned how to dig down and battle through adversity.
"That's going to make him better going into this year," Osgood said. "The sun's not going to shine every year, every day. He's taken the next step in that aspect in his game."
Osgood spoke to Howard after the team's most recent defeat, a 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins in which Howard's otherwise sensational 37-save effort was spoiled in the skills competition. Osgood said Howard barely mentioned it during their conversation.
Meanwhile, his teammates couldn't stop talking about his performance.
"He saved us tonight, big time," captain Henrik Zetterberg said after the game. "Without him, we wouldn't have that point."
"Phenomenal" is how Gustav Nyquist described his play.
Even Babcock pre-empted his own postgame news conference by declaring "Howie was good" -- presumably the only praise the team could expect to receive after getting outworked and outclassed by the Bruins.
Said one scout of Howard as the Wings were trailing 2-1 heading into the third period: "Can't have any complaints about his game."
Howard couldn't steal the win, but he was pretty much solely responsible for at least salvaging a point.
Knowing Howard, that's still not enough for him to be satisfied.
"He sets the bar very high for himself," Bedard said. "You look back at his year last year and there were some ups and downs, as well as our club. But we're in the 'No excuses' business, and Jimmy takes responsibility for knowing that he had to be better."