Time: 7:30 PM EST
Place: Little Caesars arena
TV: FS-Detroit, NBCS-CA
Radio: 97.1 FM The Ticket/1270 AM
Sharks Blog: Fear The Fin
Things are bad in Detroit, real bad. I love updating every morning skate I write with their current losing streak, and the pace they are on. With that said, it’s a six-game losing streak now and they have dropped 18/20 and they are well on pace for a staggering 43 points (Reminder the 2016-17 Avs had 48 points). Newly appointed all-star, Tyler Bertuzzi, is one of the few bright spots for the Wings as he has 8 points in his last 12 games. Filip Zadina is another dim bright spot with now 9 points in his 15 games this year. Meanwhile, Valtteri Filppula’s status will remain in question after he missed Sunday’s game in Tampa. Other than that, expect more of the same for the Red Wings tonight (meaning, bad).
For as bad as the Wings season has been, it’s almost fair to say the Sharks season has been worse. With Cup expectations coming in to the year and no 1st-round pick, San Jose has been the most disappointing team in the NHL. They currently are 4th worst in the league and just seem to be finally in their twilight years with their aging roster. After starting the season 4-10-1, the Sharks started picking things up and sat 15-12-1. Then the calendar turned to December and they have gone 2-8-2 since. They are still led by the usual suspects of Couture, Hertl, Karlsson, Burns and Kane but their lineup depth and absolutely horrendous goaltending has left them needing a bigger boat (you already know that was intended). Martin Jones and Aaron Dell have combined for a 3.40 GAA and .888% on the year. To put that into perspective, the duo of Bernier and Howard are at a 3.55 GAA and .893%. Meaning Jones/Dell are at that next level of suck. If the Red Wings can find a way to get some pucks on net tonight, you just never know what may happen.
Projected Lines
Red Wings
AA-Larkin-Bertuzzi
Fabbri-LGD-Zadina
Erne-Nielsen-Helm
Abby-Ehn-Perlini
Nemeth-Green
Hronek-Daley
Lashoff-Bowey
Bernier
Howard
Sharks
Hertl-Couture-Labanc
Kane-Goodrow-Meier
Sorensen-Thornton-Marleau
Karlsson-Kellman-Noesen
Dillon-Burns
Vlasic-Karlsson
Simek-Ferraro
Jones
Dell