Pavel Datsyuk back for the Detroit Red Wings

Sunshine. Puppies. Pavel Datsyuk in the lineup.

What are three things that undeniably brighten your day?

The Detroit Red Wings star will make his season debut on Tuesday night at the Montreal Canadiens, four weeks after suffering a separated shoulder. Johan Franzen, alas, is headed to seven-day injured reserve with a wonky groin to open up that spot for Datsyuk.

As Helene St. James of the Free Press notes, getting him back could mean very good things for the Red Wings’ offense:

Getting Datsyuk back surely would help an offense that so far has sputtered; the four goals scored Friday at Toronto mark the only time the Wings have topped two goals in a game. Saturday, they scored once — in overtime. The power play has been especially egregious, its 9.5% success rate reflecting two goals on 21 opportunities.

"We have to get more pucks to the net," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "We've been a little bit too stationary once we do enter the zone. We need to make sure we have more motion."

When it was brought to Kronwall's attention that he said the same thing a billion times last season, he laughed. "It might have been more than that."

Datsyuk will play on the Red Wings’ top line, skating with Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. He’ll also be on the top power-play unit.