The Wings are kicking off their three-game week with a trip to the Big Apple in hopes to keep momentum and bring down the Metropolitan-leading New York Rangers (8-2-1). We’ll be following a couple of storylines as we head into tonight; It sounds like the Wings are going to get Robby Fabbri back, but it’s also possible that Dylan Larkin won’t play due to an upper-body injury. Head coach Derek Lalonde said Tuesday that Larkin will be a game-time decision, BUT — the captain did skate this morning.
If the Wings are to go without Larkin, Lalonde told media that the roster makeup would likely end up being 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers are off to a hot start this season but are also dealing with some key injuries that would level the playing field between both Eastern Conference foes.
How to Watch
Time: 7:30 P.M. ET at Madison Square Garden
TV: TNT
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket
Stream: Max
Red Wings Lineup (Probable)
DeBrincat-Larkin-Raymond
Rasmussen-Compher-Copp
Fabbri-Veleno-Sprong
Kostin-Rasmusen-Fischer
Walman-Seider
Chiarot-Holl
Maatta-Gostisbehere
Husso
Reimer
Rangers Lineup (Probable)
Kreider-Zibanejad-Wheeler
Panarin-Trochek-Lafreniere
Cuylle-Bonino-Kakko
Vesey-Goodrow-Pitlick
K. Miller-Trouba
Lindgren-Gustafsson
Z. Jones-Schneider
Quick
Domingue
Key Matchups
NYR Missing Key Pieces: New York will be missing its star goaltender and defenseman tonight. Igor Shesterkin is out meaning Jonathan Quick will get the start, and Adam Fox continues to recover from a nasty knee-on-knee collision with Sebastian Aho last week. Yes, the Wings could be without their top scorer, but this is a vulnerable Rangers roster.
Bottom-Six Battle: Detroit has seen solid performance from secondary scoring and its “grind line.” I like the matchup they have with NYR’s bottom-six. It’s a battle that I think should tilt in favor of the Wings.
Sidebar: Seeking Stability
Ville Husso is off to an underwhelming start to the season. It’s still early but simply put — his numbers are unacceptable. This is not entirely Husso’s fault but I’m slightly concerned. We’ll wait until later in the year to draw any conclusions but without a solid starting goaltender, the chances of a playoff run are slim to none. The defense needs to do its part and help support Husso a little better. Tonight’s game is a solid opportunity to build more confidence following a big win over Boston.
