Updates

#GoStars Thursday Morning Skate Update:

• Jake Oettinger with make his regular season NHL debut tonight, also his first NHL start, against the Red Wings. Oettinger, 22, made 2 appearances during the Bubble Playoffs totaling 36:40 TOI.

• Jamie Benn & Blake Comeau remain out.

— Owen Newkirk (@OwenNewkirk) January 28, 2021

Welp, he’s getting a shut out.

No Benn or Comeau. #GoStars https://t.co/qT3Crjm4gR

— Brien Rea (@BrienRea) January 28, 2021

#LGRW Thursday Morning Skate Update:

• Per HC Jeff Blashill, Dylan Larkin and Darren Helm are both game-time decisions. Blashill said he anticipates Larkin will play, but is not totally certain, while he is "hopeful" that Helm will play.

• 5 players remain in Covid Protocol.

— Owen Newkirk (@OwenNewkirk) January 28, 2021

Red Wings Lineup

Forwards

Mathias Brome - Dylan Larkin - Tyler Bertuzzi
Vadislav Namestnikov - Luke Glendening - Anthony Mantha
Valtteri Filppula - Michael Rasmussen - Bobby Ryan
Taro Hirose - Frans Nielsen - Givani Smith

Defense

Filip Hronek - Patrik Nemeth
Danny Dekesyer - Christian Djoos
Marc Staal - Troy Stecher

Goalies

Jonathan Bernier
Thomas Greiss

Stars Lineup

Forwards

Jason Dickenson - Roope Hintz - Denis Gurianov
Tanner Kero - Joe Pavelski - Alexander Radulov
Andrew Cogliano - Radek Faksa - Ty Dellandrea
Rhett Gardner - Justin Dowling - Nicholas Caamano

Defense

Esa Lindell - John Klingberg
Jamie Oleksiak - Miro Heiskanen
Andrej Sekera - Mark Pysyk

Goalies

Jake Oettinger
Anton Khudobin

Keys to the Game

Get more traffic in the slot and in front of the net. Detroit gave up a lot of juicy scoring opportunities by not making more mayhem in the slot. I came away from last game really like Rasmussen’s play (his blown coverage leading to the Hronek penalty not-withstanding) and I think it is because, with that huge frame of his, he was the most effective player on Detroit’s roster in the area where they needed a player most.

Don’t take bone-headed penalties. Tuesday wasn’t exactly a parade to the penalty box, but Detroit took some bad penalties throughout the night. A couple of them were awfully soft calls, too, but Dallas is too good on the power play to give them extra chances. If the Wings can avoid taking bad penalties it basically serves as a double bonus because Dallas has yet to prove they’re a real dangerous 5-on-5 team.

Find more ways to keep the pressure up late. One of the really nice improvements from this season to last is that the Wings aren’t just rolling over and begging to be put out of their misery in the third period like I do after Thanksgiving dinner. They got some good licks in throughout the third period and generally looked like the better team on Tuesday, but I guess I’m feeling nostalgic today and want to see some total dominance in the third period. Something to make us all get nostalgic for the ‘08 team.