BY JASON LA CANFORA 
Free Press Sports Writer 
This has been Slava Kozlov's kind of year. 

His name has been out of the papers. He's quietly scoring goals at a solid pace -- second on the Red Wings with 24. He's playing every night. His defensive role has expanded. For the first time in three years, his name was not one of the hot topics at the trade deadline. With a two-year deal signed in the fall, there were no impending contract negotiations. He's out of coach Scotty Bowman's doghouse. 

"It gives me more confidence to play on the power play and penalty killing," Kozlov said. "And I don't have any problems with my contract for two years. And I don't have to worry too much at trade deadline this time. 

"I feel very good about that. I think I'm getting stronger. And last year some games I was a healthy scratch. If you are healthy scratch you start thinking more. This year it's been kind of quiet. It gives me a lot of confidence." 

Kozlov was a healthy scratch six times last season, including three straight in January after Bowman disliked his defense at Montreal. This season, Kozlov has played in 77 of 78 games, second to Larry Murphy. Bowman said Kozlov played poorly in his own zone on Dec. 16 at San Jose, so he was benched the next night in Colorado. 

Since then, Kozlov, a left wing, has played solid defensively and now kills penalties regularly with Martin Lapointe. He has surpassed last season's goal total, and his three multiple-goal games are second on the team (Steve Yzerman has four).