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

Joshua Pickering

• 2 min read Front Page

Game Day Updates

Note: Staal is not expected to play however as per Blashill

Lineups

Detroit

Forwards
Tyler Bertuzzi - Dylan Larkin - Lucas Raymond
Vladislav Namestnikov - Pius Suter - Robby Fabbri
Adam Erne - Michael Rasmussen - Filip Zadina
Joe Veleno - Carter Rowney - Sam Gagner

Defense
Danny DeKeyser - Moritz Seider
Nick Leddy - Filip Hronek
Jordan Oesterle - Gustav Lindstrom

Goalies
Alex Nedeljkovic
Thomas Greiss

New York

Forwards
Anthony Beauvillier - Brock Nelson - Josh Bailey
Anders Lee - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Kyle Palmieri
Kieffer Bellows - Zach Parise - Oliver Wahlstrom
Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Cal Clutterbuck

Defense
Adam Pelech - Scott Mayfield
Zdeno Chara - Noah Dobson
Andy Greene - Robin Salo
Goalies
Ilya Sorokin
Semyon Varlamov

Keys to the Game

1. The Bertuzzi Boost

With Detroit welcoming Tyler Bertuzzi back to the lineup, expect him to give the first line a jolt alongside Raymond and Larkin. The pair have still performed well in his absence but having him back could have all three ready for a big night. Bertuzzi will likely bring high energy to the game, even more so than usual given his week away from the ice. The Islanders still have a reputation as a stingy team defensively but this trio is talented enough to put away a couple of goals tonight.

2. The Fabbri Factor

The ink is still wet on a new 3 year extension for Robby Fabbri that puts him in line to be a part of this team’s core moving forward. Although he’s likely being bumped from the top line back down to the second line, expect to see a strong performance from Fabbri gaining a boost of confidence an extension like that gives to a player who was lacking certainty about his future.

2.  Shut Down Barzal a Hopeless Bunch

With Mathew Barzal popping onto the COVID protocol list and presumably out tonight, Detroit faces a significant scheme change tonight. Barzal had been catching fire after a slow start to the season. The bad news for the Islanders is outside of Barzal nobody has really been producing for them offensively. Brock Nelson has 9 goals, with only 2 assists, but now has to move into the first line centre role. Wahlstrom has 13 points. The Islanders lack offense in a big way and without Barzal they are in a really difficult spot. If Detroit can grab an early lead, New York doesn’t have the guns to chase them.