Have you checked the standings lately?
It’s a little early to start labeling games as “must-win,” but the Detroit Red Wings face a pretty important four-point game over a team they’re battling in the standings, the Ottawa Senators.
An important word in that sentence is “a,” as Ottawa is just one of 10 teams separated by seven points in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. A win tonight for Detroit could push them within a point of a playoff spot, while the Senators hope to get back into a wild-card spot they occupied for most of last week.
There’s much more jockeying ahead, as this week represents most teams’ midway point of the regular season. But what looked like an impossibility two weeks ago now feels like something at least worthy of discussion, as Detroit has climbed back into the playoff picture on the back of four wins in five games since tabbing Todd McLellan as head coach.
Whether that’s a traditional “new coach bump,” or McLellan’s early adjustments have the team playing a more soundly and more inspired remains to be seen, but it sure is nice to be playing meaningful hockey after the way things looked a few weeks ago.
How to Watch
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket
Expect much of the same lineup for the Red Wings, as practice updates suggested that defenseman Jeff Petry is out for at least a few games. Alex Lyon will be in goal. Meanwhile, the Senators are without five players due to injury: forwards Michael Amadio and David Perron; defensemen Travis Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker; and goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Red Wings Projected Lineup
Veleno – Larkin – Raymond
DeBrincat – Copp – Kane
Berggren – Compher – Tarasenko
Rasmussen – Kasper – Motte
Chiarot – Seider
Edvinsson – Holl
Gustafsson – Johansson
Lyon
Talbot
Senators Projected Lineup
Giroux – Stutzle – Batherson
Tkachuk – Pinto – Greig
Cousins – Norris – Gaudette
Reinhardt – Ostapchuk – Gregor
Sanderson – Zub
Chabot – Jensen
Kleven – Matinpalo
Forsberg
Merilainen
