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Morning Skate: Nashville Predators vs Detroit Red Wings- Preview, How to Watch

Time: 7:30pm ET

Place: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit MI

TV: FSD, ESPN+

Radio: 97.1 FM The Ticket, 1270 AM

Predators Blog: On The Forecheck

Fifteen games into the season and things are already looking bleak for the Red Wings season. Very few, if anyone, actually came into the season with hopes of a playoff push but most expected them to be at least competitive most nights. So far, that really has not been the case though. Of their 11 losses seven have been by three or more goals. They have scored more than two goals six times, with three of those six coming in the first four games before the offense went completely cold. The good news (if there is any) is that they played tonight’s opponent, the Nashville Predators, in one of those six games (the season opener to be exact). The teams have gone in very different directions since then though.

As we all pretty much know, after a hot start winning three of their first four games the Red Wings offense has fallen completely apart while the defense has looked more like efence (get it, no D) enroute to a league worst -25 goal differential just 15 games into the season. Nashville on the other hand, has had no issues putting the puck in the net (54 goals for) and have rattled off wins in five of their last six games with only Calgary being able to find the net more than twice against the Preds over that span (which also happened to be Nashville’s only loss as well).

The Predators have eight players with at least 10 points on the season already, include two defensemen (Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis) who are tied for the team lead with 14 points apiece. Compare that to the Red Wings who have three players above 10 points, all of which started the season on the same white hot line, with the closest defenseman (Filip Hronek) sitting fourth with seven points.

Other fun facts (depending on your definition of fun), Andreas Athanasiou is a staggering -18 in just 13 games (yes, plus minus is a flawed stat but man that is still not good). Only 11 Red Wings have scored a goal this season so far, and only six of those have more than one. Danny DeKeyser, who has missed seven games already due to injury and is a defenseman, has three less shots on goal that Valtteri Filppula, the same as Justin Abdelkader and two more than Taro Hirose. It is not all awful though. Anthony Mantha is tied for seventh in the league in goals and 24th in points while Tyler Bertuzzi is tied for 34th in goals, tied for 42nd in assists and also tied for 24th in points.

This could be another game similar to the last two where the Red Wings bring less than their best effort and get skated off the ice. On the other hand, they had a good game against this team once already and combined with being out everything’d the last two games on the road the Wings might come out angry, focused and determined. Either way it will still be a tough game to win, but at least the second would be an entertaining one..and that is really all we can ask for this season.

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