Updates
Blashill says Bernier is “very close” to returning
— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) February 11, 2021
Projected Lines
RED WINGS
Forwards
| Filip Zadina | Dylan Larkin | Mathias Brome |
|---|---|---|
| Givani Smith | Robby Fabbri | Bobby Ryan |
| Darren Helm | Vladislav Namestnikov | Anthony Mantha |
| Sam Gagner | Frans Nielsen | Adam Erne |
Defensemen
| Christian Djoos | Filip Hronek |
|---|---|
| Marc Staal | Troy Stecher |
| Patrick Nemeth | Jon Merrill |
Goalie
| Tomas Griess |
|---|
| Calvin Pickard |
PREDATORS
Forwards
| Filip Forsberg | Luke Kunin | Viktor Arvidsson |
|---|---|---|
| Calle Jarnkrok | Matt Duchene | Mikael Granlund |
| Nick Cousins | Erik Haula | Eeli Tolvanen |
| Yakov Trenin | Colton Sissons | Rocco Grimaldi |
Defensemen
| Roman Josi | Ryan Ellis |
|---|---|
| Jarrod Tinordi | Dante Fabbro |
| Mark Borowiecki | Matt Benning |
Goalie
| Pekka Rinne |
|---|
| Jusse Saros |
Keys to the Game
Special Teams
More and more the team that wins the special team battle wins the game. This is especially true when the two teams playing have two of the worst specialty units in the league. Jeff Blashill continues to proclaim that the long-suffering Red Wings power play is due to execution and not getting enough pucks and players to the net. Fans and analysts suggest the scheme/strategy/setup/whatever you want to call it of the PP unit is to blame. Whomever is right, now would be the perfect opportunity to fix the issue and get a couple PP goals.
Stay Aggressive on the Puck
The last few games thewy have finally started getting more aggressive on the puck, particularly on the forecheck in the offensive zone, and this has led to turnovers and a couple goals. Nashville is strong on the back end, but their defensemen are different than the ones we saw in Tampa or Florida. They are not as physical as either Florida team, preferring to use their skating and passing to breakout. The Red Wings have a strong core of forechecking forwards who should be able to skate with the Predators defense and hound the puck which should lead to some chances on net, where Nashville has been shaky at times this season.
Finish
For all their woes and issues the Red Wings have been in the majority of their games this season. Generally when that is the case and team still only has three wins to its name lost chances can typically be found, and the Wings are no exception. Two or three times a game it seems someone makes a fantastic play to set a player up with an open net only to have them mishit the puck, shoot it into a defender, pass up the shot or simply miss the net entirely. While this is likely true of most teams in the NHL, it does seem to happen to the Wings often and frankly they are not good enough offensively yet to be able to flub a handful of grade A chances every game and expect to win.
