Red Wings at Flames Gameday Updates, Key Matchups

As expected, the lines and pairs are the same as from our Morning Skate. Mrazek should be the starter tonight:

Key Matchups

Battle at the Top: Tatar-Mantha-Zetterberg is a very good trio, but Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland will bring speed and exceptional passing, not to mention they’ll have Giordano and Hamilton behind them. The Wings need to more than just tie this matchup; they’ll need to win it.

Abdelkader vs. the Scoring Track: Will the OT game-winner get Abby back off the schneid completely and back onto a respectable scoring pace or is he going to stay lost with Larkin and Helm? Abdelkader’s game doesn’t call for a lot of fancy stuff. Stick down, hit guys, skate hard. Pretty easy stuff.

The Organization’s Plans vs. the Players’ Desires: Players don’t lose games on purpose, but it can be difficult to give it your all when it’s clear that management has pulled the chute on the season. The problem is that with a game tomorrow and Nyquist being the only available replacement for that game (since his suspension will be over), you can’t afford to suffer injuries, and that’s exactly what can happen when players lose focus.

Puck drops a little after 9ET tonight. Look for the WIIM Gamethread at 8:30.

LGRW