Game Day Updates

Mike Sullivan said tonight’s loss might have been their worst game of the year.

— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) December 28, 2022

Refs Tom Chmielewski and Francis Charron work #LGRW #LetsGoPens with Joe Mahon and Travis Toomey https://t.co/9H8q4cJc2W #DET #PIT #DETvsPIT #LGRW #Penguins #NHL pic.twitter.com/3g9huJWAMO

— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) December 28, 2022

Lineups

Detroit

Forwards
Rasmussen – Larkin – Perron
Erne – Copp – Raymond
Kubalik – Suter – Sundqvist
Berggren – Veleno – Soderblom

Defense
Chiarot – Seider
Walman – Hronek
Maatta – Oesterle

Goalies
Husso
Nedeljkovic/Hellberg

Pittsburgh

Forwards
Guentzel – Crosby – Rakell
Zucker – Malkin – Rust
McGinn – Carter – Kapenen
O’Connor – Blueger – Heinen

Defense
Pettersson – Letang
Dumoulin – Rutta
Joseph – Ruhwedel

Goalies
DeSmith
Jarry

Keys to the Game

1.  Start Fresh

After some time to celebrate and recharge with family and friends over the Christmas break, the Wings have a chance to shake off what has been a rough ride through December thus far. The team needs to kick it into gear again to get back into a playoff spot. The break may have served nobody better than Larkin who clearly had an ailing injury just leading into the shutdown. Detroit will need to have some pop in their stride again to take on a Pittsburgh team that was surging heading into the time off.

2.  Pittsburgh is On the Second Leg of Back to Backs

The Penguins already made their return from the Christmas shutdown when they got beat up by the Islanders last night. The math is clear about the advantage the rested team has on the other when they are playing their second game in two nights. But with Pittsburgh having just come off of their own break, and that contest being over fairly early on, they may have been able to keep some gas in the tank for tonight. Regardless it’s still an advantage Detroit will have to capitalize on as they need to take any help they can get from the schedule until their roster gets a boost.

3. Make History Wait

Evgeni Malkin sits tied with Sergei Fedorov for second in all time points by a Russian player behind Alex Ovechkin. The Wings were able to keep Ovechkin from making history against them a week ago, they’ll no doubt be using that as motivation once again to keep Malkin off the scoresheet. Not only would that serve just the purpose of history, but keeping Malkin pointless would go a long way towards earning a win the team desperately could use.