Goaltender Jimmy Howard figured he would pay his dues in the American Hockey League this season after passing up his senior year at the University of Maine to sign with the Detroit Red Wings in August.

Howard was a second-round draft choice of Detroit (64th overall) in 2003.

Injuries to 32-year-old veterans Manny Legace and Chris Osgood have opened the door for the 21-year-old Howard and he has already made three NHL starts within the last nine days.

The struggling Osgood backed him up while Legace continues to recover from a knee injury. Osgood will start tonight’s game against New Jersey.

“Things are going well. With each game, I get more and more comfortable out there. It has been a good experience,” Howard said Monday. “The game is so much faster than in college or the AHL. It’s three steps faster than college.”

Howard said he was able to adapt to the speed while practicing with the Red Wings.

He has the unique distinction of having faced penalty shots in his first two starts, which is believed to be an NHL record.

In his Nov. 28 debut, a 22-save 5-2 win over Los Angeles, Joe Corvo converted his penalty shot. In his next start, a 33-save 3-2 loss to Calgary last Thursday, Shean Donovan failed to score with his.

“I took everything away and he didn’t get his shot off,” said Howard, who is sporting a 2.37 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage to go with his 1-2 record.

He said “never in a million years” did he expect to play three NHL games this early in his pro career.

“It’s all about timing. That’s what I was told. It’s been good timing so far,” said Howard, who had a 2.88 GAA and a .899 save percentage in six games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Howard said he has been well-received by his Detroit teammates.

“They’ve been awesome. You couldn’t ask for a better group of guys. Every guy in the dressing room has been really helpful. They’ve made the transition a lot easier for me,” said Howard.

The former All-American, whose long list of school records include the career marks for GAA (1.84), save percentage (.931) and shutouts (15), said he hasn’t altered his goaltending style much.

“I’ve gotten out of my net a little bit more because we’re using smaller equipment,” said Howard.

He said he will continue to work hard on all aspects of his game and said he has learned you have to be ready to face a shot “when you don’t expect it.”

Howard’s debut was unique as he was playing in front of a star-studded crowd in Los Angeles that included actresses Sandra Bullock and Elisha Cuthbert and Bullock’s new husband, Jesse James, star of “Monster Garage.”

“It was fun,” said Howard, who was praised by Red Wings coach Mike Babcock and his teammates in an article published in The Detroit News.

“Let’s face it, he’s a guy who will be a solid goalie in this league for a long time,” said defenseman Mathieu Schneider.

“He has the talent to be a goalie in the NHL,” said forward Kirk Maltby, noting Howard just needs experience.

Babcock said he has the “athletic ability. Is he mentally tough enough to do it in this league on a regular basis? We’ll find out. He has the form to be pretty good.”