Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings vs. Blackhawks: Notes, Lines, Goalies, How to Watch
The Red Wings, winners of their last five games, face a different kind of pressure starting tonight.
They will be working to keep the momentum of the current streak, but also have an opportunity to make some hay against the weaker teams on the schedule.
Starting tonight, the Wings take on Chicago, Seattle and San Jose to wrap up the homestand.
They are three of the bottom four teams in the Western Conference, the type of games the Wings will need to win before hitting the road again at the end of next week.
There’s still evidence of progress, beginning with the Red Wings shooting more, rather than skating and looking for the perfect opportunity.
The Eastern Conference race for the final two playoff spots is a free-for-all. and losses can weigh down a team’s prospects like an anvil.
Going into tonight’s action, the Red Wings are four points behind the eighth-place Columbus Blue Jackets. A week ago, it was Ottawa, which is now in 10th.
A win tonight would lift the Wings past the Senators and Pittsburgh.
But they have to focus on the Blackhawks firat.
Besides not getting outshot any more, the Red Wings are getting contributions from Patrick Kane and Dylan Larkin, whose slumps contributed to the downfall of Derek Lalonde. They were far from the only factor, of course, but it didn’t help, either.
Tonight marks the halfway point of the season. The second half should be interesting. Red Wing fans are hoping so.
The Matchup
Who: Red Wings vs. Blackhawks
Where: Little Caesars Arena
When: 7 p.m.
TV/Radio: FanDuel/97.1 FM
Detroit Lines
Kasper-Larkin-Raymond
DeBrincat – Copp – Kane
Berggren – Compher – Tarasenko
Rasmussen – Veleno – Motte
Defensive Pairings
Chiarot – Seider
Edvinsson –Johansson
Gustafsson –Holl
Goalies
Talbot – Husso
Chicago Lines
Bertuzzi – Bedard – Dach
Hall – Dickinson – Foligno
Mikheyev – Nazar – Teravainen
Maroon – Donato – Smith
Defensive Pairings
Kaiser – Jones
Vlasic – Crevier
Allan – Brodie
Goalies
Soderblom – Mrazek
