Gameday Updates: Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens: Line Combinations, Key Matchups
Red Wings look for an afternoon win on Martin Luther King Jr. Day vs. Montreal Canadiens
Updates are limited on an early gameday, but here's what we think is going to happen with the lines/pairings.
Red Wings Lineup
| Gustav Nyquist | Henrik Zetterberg | Anthony Mantha |
| Andreas Athanasiou | Frans Nielsen | Thomas Vanek |
| Tomas Tatar | Riley Sheahan | Dylan Larkin |
| Drew Miller | Luke Glendening | Justin Abdelkader |
| Danny DeKeyser | Mike Green |
| Jonathan Ericsson | Alexey Marchenko |
| Xavier Ouellet | Nick Jensen |
| Jared Coreau (starting) |
| Petr Mrazek |
Montreal Canadiens Lineup
| Max Pacioretty | Alex Galchenyuk | Alexander Radulov |
| Paul Byron | Phillip Danault | Andrew Shaw |
| Artturi Lehkonen | Tomas Plekanec | Sven Andrighetto |
| Daniel Carr | Torrey Mitchell | Brian Flynn |
| Alexei Emelin | Shea Weber |
| Nathan Beaulieu | Jeff Petry |
| Mark Barberio | Zach Redmond |
Carey Price (starting) |
| Al Montoya |
Keys of the Game
Score early on Carey Price. The best goalie in the NHL has suffered from some sub-par performances over the last three games, but a return to form is coming soon. When a goalie has not been performing well it is important to jump on them early so they do not re-establish their confidence. The Wings offense showed the ability to score quickly and often against Marc-Andre Fleury, maybe they can do the same against Price.
Keep Jensen moving in the right direction. Athanasiou and Mantha have impressed so far this season. Could Nick Jensen be the next young player to solidify a spot in the lineup? He is coming off his best performance of the year and now must clear waivers to be sent to Grand Rapids. It is imperative that he keeps improving and remains in the lineup.
Stay safe! Winter storm Jupiter will be causing mayhem across the Midwest on MLK day. I know we have readers spread throughout the affected area so please stay safe. If you are headed to the game, the forecast is for low 30's and showers so it could be a bit treacherous in the Detroit area.