WGD: GAME 69, BABCOCK RETURNS 2.0

8 years ago

There’s a different feeling about these Red Wings right now. A week ago we were dismantled by the Blackhawks twice, but now we’ve won two in a row in come-from-behind fashion. Thankfully the Florida Panthers were able to get past our new rival in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, it was in a shootout so they still got a point, but we got two. so…

Some more good news for the Red Wings search for 25 straight playoff appearances is that Evgeni Malkin will miss the next 6-8 weeks. While that’s a positive for the Red Wings, it looks like Niklas Kronwall will miss a lengthy period of time with a sprained knee. More on that later. Tonight’s meeting between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs will be their third of the season. Detroit has taken each of the first two games vs. their former head coach. Let’s break this one down!

THE RED WINGS

Detroit Red Wings Lines courtesy of DailyFaceoff

After two wins in a row, the Red Wings are expected to keep their forward lines the same, but the blueline will look a little different with Kronwall out. Alexey Marchenko will draw back into the lineup and Danny DeKeyser should move onto the second power-play unit.

THE MAPLE LEAFS

Toronto Maple Leafs courtesy of Daily Faceoff

The Maple Leafs lineup is largely made up of Toronto Marlies (AHL) players. They haven’t had a tonne of success yet, but they have a lot of promise. One of their veterans, Brooks Laich, could come out of the lineup tonight after leaving Saturday’s game with a foot injury.

BETWEEN THE PIPES

With Petr Mrazek getting the nod yesterday, look for Jimmy Howard to be in goal tonight. He has lost his last two starts while giving up a combined six goals on 53 shots (,887 SV%). Howard faced the Maple Leafs in his first start of the season and he stopped all 22 shots in a 4-0 shutout win.

Jonathan Bernier has been confirmed for the Maple Leafs. Bernier has lost his last three starts while giving up 10 goals on 90 shots (.889 SV%). He has struggled all season, posting a 7-18-3 with a 3.12 GAA and .897 SV% in 28 starts. He ws yanked in his fist start vs. Detroit after giving up three goals on nine shots.

WORDS FROM THE ENEMY

Yeah…they’re bad. This is a must-win.

WHERE TO WATCH

Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m ET at Joe Louis Arena. You can watch it on the NBC Sports Network. If you aren’t near a television, you can catch it on the Radio with WXYT-FM 97.1 The Ticket.

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