After missing the last two games with an upper-body injury, the Red Wings may get Trevor Daley back on the blueline tonight. Daley skated on Wednesday but head coach Jeff Blashill wouldn’t go as far as to say that Daley would play tonight. As for Martin Frk, he will miss his eighth consecutive game with a groin injury, but Blashill believes he will be available for the second game of this home-and-home on Saturday. Frans Nielsen missed yesterday’s practice for maintenance reasons, but will play tonight.

In very Blashill fashion, David Booth started Tuesday’s game on  the top line following a two-goal performance vs. the Devils, but it didn’t last long. Andreas Athanasiou was moved up there for a period of time and based on Wednesday’s practice line rushes he will start there tonight. In a brief time together the Gustav Nyquist–Henrik Zetterberg-Athanasiou trio doesn’t have the best numbers—but Nyquist-Zetterberg-Tomas Tatar do and the Anthony Mantha–Dylan Larkin-Athanasiou trio’s numbers are even better. That should be their top-6, but I’m not the head coach. 

The Canadiens have played their last five games without Shea Weber, who has been sidelined by a lower-body injury, but the big defenseman traveled with the team to Detroit and may return tonight. If Weber does play, Jakub Jerabek would likely be the healthy scratch.

David Schlemko missed the first 25 games of the season with a hand injury, but made his Canadiens debut last night. Schlemko failed to record a point with two shots on goal in 15:54 in yesterday’s win vs. Ottawa.

The Canadiens have had some offensive struggles this season. Jonathan Drouin was brought in from Tampa Bay this offseason, but he has the same amount of points (17) as Mikhail Sergachev, who they sent the other way—and that leads the Canadiens. Their top offensive weapon for years has been Max Pacioretty, but he has just seven goals in 26 games thanks to a 6.4 shooting percentage (110 shots).

The Canadiens top-6 has been shuffled a lot this year, but their third line has remained the same and has been one of the best bottom-6 lines in hockey. The trio of Charles Hudon–Tomas Plekanec–Brendan Gallagher has a 56.55 CF% with a 34.9 scoring chance for/60 and just 21.94 scoring chance against/60.

With Price recently returning from injury, starting last night and starting three times in the last five days—facing an average of 34 shots per game—I would look for Antti Niemi to get the nod for Montreal. The Red Wings should catch a break, at least that’s the hope, because Niemi has been terrible so far this season. However, since joining the Canadiens (his third team this season) he has turned aside 34 of the 37 shots (.919 SV%) that he has faced in one start and one relief appearance. He is still searching for his first win and has a 5.50 GAA and .845 SV% in seven appearances and anytime you can avoid Carey Price, it’s a great, great thing.

With Jimmy Howard losing four in a row and having bad career numbers against the Canadiens, expect Petr Mrazek to start for the Red Wings. Mrazek left his last start after being shaken up but has been available as the backup so he should make his seventh start of the year tonight. Mrazek has an ugly 3.19 GAA and .901 SV% on the season, but is 2-1-2 with a 2.68 GAA and .910 SV% vs. Montreal in his career.

Puck-drop between the Red Wings and Canadiens is at 7:30p.m. at Little Caesars Arena. You can catch the game on FoxSports Detroit in the United States or TSN2 in Canada.

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