The Detroit Red Wings are set to host the Vancouver Canucks today at Little Caesars Arena, with the game scheduled for 7 PM ET. Currently, the Red Wings sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 25-15-4, while the Canucks are struggling in 31st place overall in the NHL standings with a record of 16-21-5.
Tonight’s matchup showcases two teams heading in different directions, with the Red Wings having a solid home record of 14-8-1. Detroit has been particularly strong when leading after 40 minutes, boasting an impressive 18-1-1 record this season in such situations. They rank sixth in the NHL on the power play at 24.6% and 14th in penalty killing at 80.7%.
The Red Wings will be relying on the solid performance of goalie John Gibson, who has posted a 10-2 record since December 2 and previously shut out the Canucks 4-0 a month ago. Meanwhile, forward James van Riemsdyk is also demonstrating offensive prowess, with ten goals in the last 17 games and recently tallying three goals and three assists in his past five games.
On the other side, the Canucks face obstacles with their scoring, ranking 27th in the league with an average of 2.76 goals per game and having the second-to-last goals against average at 3.50. Vancouver will look to overcome their challenges, especially with injuries affecting key players like Conor Garland and Marco Rossi.
The projected lineup for the Red Wings includes Alex DeBrincat, Andrew Copp, and Patrick Kane on the top line, while Vancouver will look to find success with players like Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser in their lineup.
As both teams take the ice, the Red Wings will aim to maintain their momentum and capitalize on their current form, while the Canucks will push for a much-needed turnaround in their performance.