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

It sounds like a broken record, and it is, but the Red Wings have to get going if their fading playoff hopes have any shot at fruition.

They’re six points out of the final playoff spot with eight games to play and will have to leapfrog past the Canadiens, Rangers and Blue Jackets to do so.

Dylan Larkin is struggling, with a downturn in production since the Four Nations tournament in February, and injuries have sapped the Red Wings as well.

Elmer Soderblom is coming back tonight after missing several games, which will help, but it might not be enough. Forward Dominik Shine was returned to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

Carolina has clinched a playoff spot after beating Washington in a fightfest on Wednesday.

It’s not like baseball, though, where teams that clinch one night are usually pretty bleary for the next game. The Hurricanes have won 12 of their last 14 games, a familiar theme for Red Wings opponents as of late.

So the Wings go back to work tonight, before a home crowd, which will help, one thinks, especially if the Tigers win on Opening Day  this afternoon.

Then again, it could be another case of playing just well enough to come up short as the magic number to get into the postseason drops closer and closer to zero.

Regardless how the season ends, the Red Wings are due for more retooling in the offseason, painful as it might be.

The Matchup

Who: Red Wings vs. Hurricanes

Where: Little Caesars Arena

When: 7 p.m.

TV.Radio: Fan Duel 97.1 FM

Detroit Projected Lines

DeBrincat – Larkin – Kane

Rasmussen – Kasper – Raymond

Berggren – Compher – Tarasenko

Smith  – Motte – Soderblom

Defensive Pairings

Chiarot – Seider

Edvinsson – Petry

Johansson – Holl

Goalies

Talbot

Lyon

Carolina Projected Lines:

Jarvis – Aho – Blake

Svechnikov – Roslovic – Hall

Martinook – Kotkaniemi – Stankoven

Robinson – Jankowski – Jost

Defensive Pairings

Slavin – Burns

Orlov – Chatfield

Gostisbehere – Walker

Goalies

Kochetkov

Andersen