Red Wings vs Bruin: GDU, Lineups, Keys to the Game

Joshua Pickering

• 2 min read Front Page

Game Day Updates

This one is interesting, considering what Blashill said:

[Editor’s note: Blashill’s announcement on Green came 19 minutes after whichever social media intern was tasked with tweeting out a projected lineup. I believe Blashill that Green will play, but the lineup card below that has him in place of Ericsson is purely a guess on my part - J.J.]

And a stick tap for Chara managing to play 1500 career games, quite the milestone:

Lineups

Detroit

Forwards
Justin Abdelkader - Dylan Larkin - Robby Fabbri
Brendan Perlini - Valtteri Filppula - Tyler Bertuzzi
Taro Hirose - Andreas Athanasiou - Luke Glendening
Adam Erne - Christoffer Ehn - Givani Smith

Defense
Patrik Nemeth - Alex Biega
Mike Green - Filip Hronek
Trevor Daley - Gustav Lindstrom

Goalies
Jonathan Bernier
Jimmy Howard

Boston

Forwards
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Karson Kuhlman
Sean Kuraly — Charlie Coyle — Anders Bjork
Anton Blidh — Par Lindholm — Chris Wagner

Defense
Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug — John Moore
Matt Grzelcyk — Brandon Carlo

Goalies
Jaroslav Halak
Tuukka Rask

Keys to the Game

1. Survive the Bruins’ Big Three

Obviously it’s no secret Boston sports arguably the best line in the league with Bergeron centering Marchand and Pastrnak. It’s going to be too much to ask the Wings to shut that trio down, but if they can at least limit the damage they do they may be able to keep the game within reach. Even with Detroit getting last change in this one, there isn’t a line or pairing that jumps out as a possible shutdown option. So instead this will have to be a by committee approach.

2. Just Find a Way to Score

The Wings have been shut out in three of four. The league leading Bruins are not exactly a recipe to cure that with their league best 133 goals against. Even with backup Jaroslav Halak  getting the start, that doesn’t offer a lot of promise as the netminder sports a 2.36 GAA and .921 SV% this season. The sliver of hope Detroit may have to get something going today is Boston is playing the second half of back to backs and can be forgiven for maybe looking past this one. The bottom line is the Wings just need to find a way, any way, to put a puck in the back of the net.

3. Bernier Needs to Steal The Show

Should the Wings find a way to score a goal or two that will be an achievement in itself. But if they have any chance at slaying the goliath that is the Bruins, it’ll be largely up to Jonathan Bernier. He’s played terrific of late, but will need to deliver his best performance today for Detroit have any hope.