Photo Credit:Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Wings won 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday and then shipped Steve Ott to Montreal after the game and dealt Thomas Vanek to Florida on Wednesday morning. 

The “selling” is over and now the Red Wings shift their focus to their final 21 games of the season. The playoffs are out of reach as they sit last in the Eastern Conference with 60 points—10 back of the Islanders for the final Wild Card spot. They need to go 15-3-3 down the stretch to even have a chance, but Jeff Blashill apparently thinks they can still get in because of their captain. 

The Red Wings come in having won three of their last four and their five-game road trip continues tonight in Calgary. The Flames enter play on a five-game winning streak and winners of eight of their last 10. 

Let’s take a look at tonight’s lineups: 

With Vanek now in sunny Florida, Mitch Callahan was recalled from Grand Rapids (AHL) on Wednesday and is expected to make his season debut tonight in Calgary. Callahan is a rugged winger, similar to the mould of Ott, so he should slide right onto the fourth line. Callahan has a little more offensive upside, having collected 36 points (14G / 22A) in 53 games with the Griffins. 

The departure of Vanek also leaves a hole in the top-6 which will be filled by the goalless Riley Sheahan. Leave your hate for this decision in the comment section below. I was hoping it would by a struggling Dylan Larkin. An attempt to jumpstart him for the second half. The second-year forward has gone pointless in eight straight games and has just 19 points (12G / 7A) in 59 games this season—that’s tied for 292nd in the NHL. 

Their blueline will remain the same as it was in Vancouver, but they haven’t got a lot from their blueline recently—or all season really. Mike Green has gone pointless in six consecutive games and the once good Niklas Kronwall is still goalless, with eight assists in 37 games this year. 

The Flames weren’t overly busy before the deadline, but they made a couple of minor moves. They signed Matt Bartkowski, who helps them meet their expansion draft exposure requirements. They traded for defenseman Michael Stone, who has fit in nicely next to T.J. Brodie and acquired Curtis Lazar from Ottawa on Wednesday, but the Red Wings won’t see him tonight. 

During their five-game winning streak, Johnny Gaudreau has been impressive, collecting two goals and six assists (eight points). While Gaudreau and Sean Monahan do most of the heavy lifting, their second line has done a lot more damage than anticipated. Mikael Backlund actually leads the team with 45 points (19G / 26A) and rookie Matthew Tkachuk is just behind Gaudreau for second on the team with 41 points (11G / 30A)—that is also good for fifth among a competitive rookie class.

Petr Mrazek will likely start for the Red Wings. I mean why not? He should start every game until Jimmy Howard is healthy. Mrazek stopped 25 of 27 shots in the overtime win on Tuesday and has now posted a 2.00 GAA and .933 SV% en route to a 3-3-0 record in his last six starts. 

Brian Elliott will get the nod for the Flames. Elliott made 28 saves in the Flames’ 2-1 win over the Kings on Tuesday. Elliott is riding a four-game winning streak, having posted a 2.23 GAA and .923 SV%. He has not faced the Red Wings this season, but is 7-6-0 with a 2.30 GAA and .916 SV% on home ice. 

Puck drop is at 9:00pm at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Albera. You can watch the game on FOX Sports Detroit or SportsNet West and if you can’t watch the game you can listen to it on 97.1 FM The Ticket. 

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