WGD #9: Three things to watch for against Vancouver
By Thomas Hall
4 years agoDespite losing 2-1 in Edmonton on Friday, the Red Wings actually played much better than expected against the Oilers’ high powered offense. Coming into tonight’s home game, the now rested Red Wings will be looking for revenge against the 5-3 Canucks.
During their matchup in Vancouver last week, the Canucks embarrassed the Red Wings by blowing them out of Rogers Arena by a score of 5-1. Recently, the Red Wings have sustained a major power drought within their lineup, as they’ve produced just one goal in each of their last three games. With the number of goals they’ve allowed over that stretch, it’s no surprise that this team has gone winless over their last four games, and here’s hoping that streak ends tonight.
Projected Lines
Detroit Red Wings
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 TYLER BERTUZZI |  DYLAN LARKIN |  ANTHONY MANTHA |
 LUKE GLENDENING |  VALTTERI FILPPULA |  ANDREAS ATHANASIOU |
 TARO HIROSE |  FRANS NIELSEN |  DARREN HELM |
 CHRISTOFFER EHN |  JACOB DE LA ROSE |  JUSTIN ABDELKADER |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 DAN DEKEYSER |  FILIP HRONEK |
 PATRIK NEMETH |  MIKE GREEN |
 MADISON BOWEY |  TREVOR DALEY |
Coming into this game, head coach Jeff Blashill has made a few minor changes to his lineup. Adam Erne will be a healthy scratch for tonight’s game, as a result, Christoffer Ehn will be placed back into the lineup on the fourth line centered by Jacob de la Rose.
With Erne previously playing on the third line, Darren Helm has been moved up to the third unit as his replacement on the wing. The Red Wings offense has struggled mightily recently, which means changes continue to be needed throughout the Red Wings’ lineup until consistent production is found.
Vancouver Canucks
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 J.T. MILLER |  ELIAS PETTERSSON |  BROCK BOESER |
 TANNER PEARSON |  BO HORVAT |  JAKE VIRTANEN |
 MICHEAL FERLAND |  BRANDON SUTTER |  JOSH LEIVO |
 TIM SCHALLER |  JAY BEAGLE |  TYLER MOTTE |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER |  TYLER MYERS |
 QUINN HUGHES |  CHRIS TANEV |
 JORDIE BENN |  TROY STECHER |
Similar to the Red Wings, the Canucks have been led by their first line through eight games this season. The trio of Miller, Pettersson and Boeser have created 23 of their team’s 64 total points. In their meeting last week, the Canucks’ top-line recorded an impressive eight points during their 5-1 explosion over the Red Wings.
For the Red Wings to avoid getting blown out for the fourth time in their last five games, they’ll need to find a way to contain the Canucks first line or they could face another forgettable evening.
Three Thoughts
Top-line Slumping
Over their previous two games, the Red Wings have received just a pair of assists from their top-line of Mantha, Larkin and Bertuzzi. While this trio still leads the team in points, it remains clear that the Red Wings remain over reliant of their first line.
Andreas Athanasiou who scored 30 goals last season, remains goal-less through his six games played this season. So, if the Red Wings are going to record more than just goal for the first time in three games, then they’ll need that production to come from their impressive young trio once again.
Jimmy Howard’s Recent Woes
Coming into this season, goaltender Howard wasn’t expected to perform as one of the best goalies in the league, but he certainly has struggled to start the season. Through four starts, Howard owns a .898 SV% which ranks 42nd in the league, and a 3.81 GAA which sits eleventh-worst among goalies in the league.
While Howard’s poor numbers aren’t entirely all his fault, as the Red Wings as a team have given up on average the fourth-most shots per game (34.3), the 35-year-old is still capable of playing much better hockey and needs to display that tonight.
Canucks’ Dominance On Faceoffs
Unfortunately for the Red Wings, they’re facing off against one of the best faceoff winning teams in the league. Through eight games, the Canucks have generated an impressive 54.6% success rate in the faceoff dot this season, which currently ranks second-best throughout the entire league. Unlike the Red Wings, the Canucks have received an outstanding performance from their fourth-line center in 2019.
Currently, Jay Beagle leads the Canucks with his 66.2% FOW percentage this season. Dylan Larkin could also endure a frustrating night in the faceoff circle against the Canucks, as he’ll likely be lining up against J.T. Miller, who owns a 66% FOW percentage so far this season.
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