The Detroit Red Wings are coming off of another loss, dropping Friday’s game vs. the Jets 2-1. 

The loss moves the Red Wings to a league-worst 1-7-2 through their first 10 games of the season. Detroit enters Sunday’s game averaging the third fewest goals for (2.10 GF/PG) and second most goals abasing (4.00 GA/PG). The one bright spot is that the Red Wings are 11th in power-play (25.0%) and 12th in penalty kill (80.5%) but need to get things going at 5v5. They actually rank in the top half of the league in ScoringChancesFor/60 at 5v5, but have struggled thanks to the second lowest 5v5 shooting percentage (5.26%). The Red Wings should eventually start getting some bounces to go their way, but a low shooting percentage can also be attributed to a lack of talent. 

Detroit Red Wings Lines via DailyFaceoff

Head coach Jeff Blashill will continue to tinker with his lineup this afternoon. Anthony Mantha will move up to the top line to play with Dylan Larkin and Darren Helm after spending multiple games in the bottom-6. Rookie Michael Rasmussen will draw back into the lineup. This is an important game for Rasmussen, who will be playing in his ninth NHL games. If he plays one more game, it will kick-in the first year of his entry-level contract. The Red Wings said they could definitely keep him past the nine-game point and send him back later, but it remains to be seen if that’s what they’ll actually do. Rasmussen has just one assist in his first eight games and has posted a terrible 46.1 CF% and -1.8 CF% rel. 

The Stars will be without three of their regulars this afternoon. Alexander Radulov continues to be sidelined with a lower-body injury, Marc Methot will miss his second game with an undisclosed injury and Brett Ritchie will be replaced by Gemel Smith on the fourth line. With Radulov sidelined, Justin Dowling will skate on the Stars top-line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Seguin leads the team with 11 points (3G / 8A) in nine games, but it is defenseman John Klingberg leads them in goals (5). 

Jonathan Bernier will make his fourth appearance with the Red Wings and first since October 15th. He has struggled in his first three games, allowing a combined 13 goals on 78 shots (.833 SV%). It doesn’t hold a lot of value, but he has enjoyed success against the Stars through his career—he is 7-4-1 with a 2.15 GAA, .928 SV% and two shutouts in 13 games vs. Dallas. 

Ben Bishop gets the nod for the Stars and we know he has had success against the Red Wings, specifically when he was in Tampa Bay. Bishop is coming off of a 23-save win over the Ducks and has won four of his first seven starts while posting a 2.33 GAA, .923 SV% and one shutout this season.