Red Wings vs. Penguins: Notes, Lines, Goalies, How to Watch

Going into the week, the Red Wings were wondering about the direction of the team in the wake of Derek Lalonde’s firing.

Then a resounding win against the Washington Capitals has fans hopeful and players saying a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

Even though not much has changed on the surface.

The Wings are still tied with Buffalo for last place in the Eastern Conference.

They’re still eight points out of the final playoff spot.

And they still have a long slog to get into playoff contention, If they can.

But this is always a game Red Wings fans circle on the calendar. It’s arguable that the Penguins hold the same spot in fans’ hearts that Colorado used to when the Wings were in the Western Conference.,

Pittsburgh comes in just a point out of the playoffs. The Pens beat the Islanders on Sunday, a game where Sidney Crosby set a franchise record for assists.

The only milestone either team will be going for tonight will be a win that moves them up in the standings as the season nears its halfway point.

Tonight’s game has a later start so as not to conflict with the Blues-Blackhawks Winter Classic telecast from Wrigley Field.

A Red Wings win would make for a happy New Year’s Eve for one and all in the Mitten.

The Matchup

Who: Red Wings vs. Penguins

Where: Little Caesars Arena

When: 8 p.m.

TV/Radio: FanDuel/97.1 FM

Detroit Lines

Veleno – Larkin- Raymond

DeBrincat  – Copp-  Kane

Berggren – Compher- Tarasenko

Rasmussen -Kasper-  Motte/Fischer

Defensive Pairings 

Chiarot – Seider

Edvinsson –  Petry

Gustafsson – Holl

Johansson (extra)

Goalies

Lyon – Talbot

Pittsburgh Lines

Rakell- Crosby- Rust

Bunting- Malkin – Beauvillier

O’Connor – Glass – Tomasino

Nieto – Lizotte – Acciari

Defensive Pairings

Grzelcyk – Karlsson

Pettersson – Joseph

Graves – Shea

Goalies

Nedeljkovic – Jarry