Red Wings @ Sabres: Updates, Lineups, Keys to the Game

In case you were looking for an excuse to be out all day and not watch the Red Wings, TOO BAD

Detroit Red Wings

Tyler Bertuzzi — Henrik Zetterberg — Gustav Nyquist
Darren Helm — Dylan Larkin — Anthony Mantha
Andreas Athanasiou — Frans Nielsen — Justin Abdelkader
Martin Frk — Luke Glendening — Evgeny Svechnikov

Jonathan Ericsson — Trevor Daley
Danny DeKeyser — Nick Jensen
Niklas Kronwall — Joe Hicketts

Jimmy Howard
Jared Coreau

Buffalo Sabres

Zemgus Girgensons - Jack Eichel - Jason Pominville
Evan Rodrigues - Casey Middlestadt - Sam Reinhart
Scott Wilson - Ryan O’Reilly - Kyle Okposo
Jordan Nolan - Johan Larsson - Nick Baptiste

Brendan Guhle - Rasmus Ristolainen
Marco Scandella - Casey Nelson
Nathan Beaulieu - Justin Falk

Robin Lehner

Chad Johnson

Keys to the Game

Hungry Hungry Hicketts

Hicketts played in his second NHL game on Tuesday and left the ice with his first two NHL points. He’s full of energy, and made a friend in Kronwall who grabbed his 400th career point. We talk a lot about veteran leadership blah blah blah, but having someone like Kronwall - who has learned the hard way when and how to lay down the big hits - as a mentor for Hicketts is a good thing in my book. Plus, who else on our current defense is going to set a good example?

Now if we could just get Hronek called up...

Three Lines and Another Line

The Sabres typically spread out their top three scorers - Eichel, Reinhart, and O’Reilly across their lineup so they are capable of sparking significant offense each shift. They also have a 4th line. With the Wings, theoretically we have offense power with all of our lines however it’s been a tossup who will be our goal scorers as the usual suspects - The Kids - have been quiet. Thank goodness for Elite Goal Scorer LGD.

The trap, no not that one

We haven’t had many trap games this year, where we are the clearly superior team who should win 99 times out of 100. I wouldn’t even really call this a trap game, but it’s the close, and there is always the huge risk of hitting the snooze button and getting our butts thoroughly kicked. With our consistent inconsistency, it’s hard to guess what kind of team will show tonight. After all, the team that defeated the Penguins is the same one that lost 10-1 to the Habs. Except...for Joe Hicketts. Everything’s gonna be fine.