Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings vs Sabres: Notes, Lines, Goalies, How to Watch
Another day, another must-win for the Red Wings as they play host to the Buffalo Sabres.They’ve lost six in a row and have a tough stretch after that.
So tonight’s game with the Sabres is an opportunity to get back on track.
They’re taking on a Buffalo team that is in last place in the Eastern Conference but the Sabres are a feisty bunch. They played Edmonton tough in a 3-2 win on Monday night, their captain Rasmus Dahlin is angrily denying a reported trade request, and fans have even gotten into the fray.
So it goes when you’re in last place. But the Red Wings free fall has been stressful as well, and it’s not like they’ve been getting blown out. They’ve just not been able to get the ultimate reward for their efforts.
Tonight, the Red Wings will be working on, among other things, keeping Tage Thompson in check. He leads the Sabres with 33 goals, but there’s also this: In games where he’s scored two or more goals this season the Sabres are 18-5. Alex Tuch has 14, including nine goals, in his last 13 games. Dahlin boasts 20 points in his past 18 games.
Petr Mrazek gets the start in goal tonight, his first since coming over from the Chicago Blackhawks last week. It will be the first game in a Red Wings uniform for Mrazek since he left the Wings in a 2018 trade.
He struggled in Detroit but was good enough to be worth a first-round pick when traded to Chicago.
The Matchup
Who: Red Wings vs. Sabres
Where: Little Caesars Arena
When: 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FanDuel Sports Network, TNT/97.1 FM
Buffalo Projected Lines
Peterka – Norris- Thompson
Zucker – McLeod – Tuch
Benson – Krebs – Quinn
Malenstyn – Lafferty – Greenway
Defensive Pairings
Samuelsson – Dahlin
Byram – Bryson
Power- Sutton
Goalies
Luukkonen/Reimer
Detroit Projected Lines
Soderblom – Larkin – Raymond
DeBrincat – Kasper– Kane
Smith- Compher – Tarasenko
Berggren – Rasmussen-Motte/Shine
Defensive Pairings
Chiarot – Seider
Edvinsson –Johansson
Gustafsson – Holl/Lagesson
Goalies
Mrazek – Talbot
They just lost 6 must wins. At least we have a goaltender going tonight.
They seem to lose every game hyped as a “must win”. The way they’ve been trending I would not be surprised if they finally break out and pummel the Sabres by a 6-2 score. Unfortunately I would also not be surprised if they find a way to come up just short again. When is Seider going to allow himself to be an offensive difference maker? I really think he has it in him, He just needs to take on that mentality. Ive seen him rush up the ice in McDavid-like fashion once in awhile, only to defer to someone else at the last second. I feel if he just takes it to the net a time or two He’ll discover what He’s capable of, and it’ll become another weapon in his arsenal.
Mrazek was not worth a first round pick when he was traded to Chicago by Toronto. Toronto traded Mrazek AND a first round pick to Chicago for Chicago’s second round pick. https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/news/news-blackhawks-acquire-petr-mrazek-no-25-overall-pick-from-toronto-334856146