End this week with a victory.
End this year on a high note.
Division Hate Week is almost over and so far the Wings are 2-1-0 (with the only loss coming to the team they're chasing). The Wings dominated the Predators, slipped past the Blues in a comeback effort, and failed to show up in Chicago. Well, the Blues are back on the docket and putting more points in between them and us is always a good thing.
Keys to winning tonight's game?
Puck possession. Puck possession. Puck possession.
How do you get puck possession?
By putting some damn effort into your game. Every shift, every hit, every shot needs to have more of an effort. Make up for the crap performance in Chicago. Work hard, get the puck, possess it, and you'll dictate the pace of the game and control the play. St. Louis will want revenge for Tuesday. They're going to play with effort and work hard. Punch them in the face and win the damn game.
St. Louis Game Time is your SBNation Blues' blog.
Puck drop is a little after 7p ET.
The Expected Lineup
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Todd Bertuzzi -- Pavel Datsyuk -- Johan Franzen
Valtteri Filppula -- Henrik Zetterberg -- Jiri Hudler
Danny Cleary -- Justin Abdelkader -- Drew Miller
Gustav Nyquist -- Cory Emmerton -- Joakim Andersson
*
Nicklas Lidstrom -- Ian White
Niklas Kronwall -- Brad Stuart
Jonathan Ericsson -- Mike Commodore
*
Jimmy Howard (starting)
Ty Conklin
Scratches: Jakub Kindl
Injuries: Darren Helm (groin), Tomas Holmstrom (groin), Chris Conner (hand) and Patrick Eaves (jaw)
| BLUES | HOW THEY MATCH UP | RED WINGS |
| 21-11-5 (47 pts; 6th in West) | Record | 23-13-1 (47 pts; 5th in West) |
| 2.57 (19th) | Goals Per Game | 3.22 (4th) |
| 2.08 (3rd) | Goals Against Per Game | 2.27 (6th) |
| 12.7% (29th) | Power Play % | 20.0% (4th) |
| 82.1% (17th) | Penalty Kill % | 81.3% (20th) |
| Alexander Steen (13 goals) | Goal Leader | Johan Franzen (14 goals) |
| David Backes (25 points) | Points Leader | Pavel Datsyuk (38 points) |
- The Red Wings are 113-108-37-7 (W-L-T-OTL) all-time against the Blues
- This will be the eighth time this season Detroit has played on back-to-back nights. Their record is 4-3-0 in the second night of back-to-backs.
- The Wings have won their last 11 home games.
- The Blues lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Predators last night.
- Home team has won every game between these two teams this year
Prediction: Detroit, frustrated with their effort against Chicago, comes out ready to kick someone's ass. Brian Elliot gets welcomed back to Earth. The Wings will lead 3-0 after the first, it will be 4-1 after the second and the Wings add two in the third and put up six goals in total. Detroit wins 6-1 and Gustav Nyquist is your player of the game.
Let's Go Red Wings.