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Detroit Red Wings

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

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Dylan Larkin, Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings wrap up their homestand tonight with the last of three games against the teams at or near the bottom of the Western Conference.



Tonight, it’s the San Jose Sharks, currently next to last in the West, who come in on a three-game losing streak

They take on a Red Wings team that has won seven in a row under new coach Todd McLellan.

In other words, a trap game for the Wings, a game they would seemingly have no business losing, but might.

This could qualify as a test just as big as at the start of Detroit’s streak, when the Wings took on Washington when the Caps were the top team in the Eastern Conference.

It’s human nature for teams to concentrate on beating good teams and let up mentally against lesser squads, like the rebuilding Sharks.

McLellan is well aware of that, and his team’s mental approach will be crucial, especially with the jumbled standings in the East.

Currently, Detroit is two points out of the playoffs, in 10th place in the conference. But a loss tonight could tumble them all the way to 13th.

So the margin of error is thin, likely why McLellan would have rather have had practice on Monday instead of a day off.

There will be more of a homecoming tonight. for Jake Walman, who has blossomed in San Jose. His 26 points in 32 games is more than he had in 63 games in Detroit last year.

The Matchup

Who: Red Wings vs. Sharks

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/Fischer

Defensive Pairings

Chiarot – Seider

Edvinsson –Johansson

Gustafsson –Holl/Lagesson

Goalies

Husso – Talbot

San Jose Lines

Graf – Granlund – Zetterlund

Eklund – Celebrini – Toffoli

Kunin – Wennberg – Smith

Goodrow – Sturm – Landrea

Defensive Pairings

Walman – Ceci

Ferraro – Liljegren

Thrun – Rutta

Goalies

Georgiev – Askarov