PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators Tuesday, March 31st @ 7:30pm ET

The Detroit Red Wings will undoubtedly treat this game against the Ottawa Senators as a playoff game. The Red Wings are 3 points up on the Boston Bruins and the Senators are expected to come out hungry as they look to secure a wild card spot. Game time is 7:30pm ET.

Last 10 Games

Detroit: 3-6-1, currently in 6^th place in the Eastern Conference & 3^rd in the Atlantic Division with a 40-23-12 overall record.

Ottawa:  7-2-1, currently in 9^th place in the Eastern Conference & 5^th in the Atlantic Division with a 37-26-12 overall record.

VS. This Season

2-1 in favor of Detroit.

VS. Last 5 Years

6-3 in favor of Detroit.

Courtesy of: Ottawa Citizen

Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators Tickets Mar. 31

Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins Tickets Apr. 02

Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 04

Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals Tickets Apr. 05
Detroit Red Wings vs. Carolina Hurricanes Tickets Apr. 07

Expected Goaltenders

Detroit: Petr Mrazek (15-7-1)

Ottawa: Craig Anderson (14-13-8)

Players To Watch

Detroit: Justin Abdelkader continues to climb the team stat ladder and has 6 points (4G, 2 A) in his past 5 games.

Ottawa: Kyle Turris has 5 points (3G, 2A) in his past 5 games. He is 2^nd in team scoring behind defenseman Erik Karlsson with 55 points (22G, 33A).

Injuries*

Detroit: Johan Franzen (out, concussion)
              Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
              Erik Cole (out, upper body injury)
               
Ottawa: Milan Michalek (day-to-day, upper body injury)
               Matt Puempel (day-to-day, lower body injury)
               Robin Lehner (out, concussion)
               Chris Phillips (out, undisclosed)
               Chris Neil (out, thumb)       

* As of March 31st

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks Thursday, March 26th @ 7:30pm ET

The Detroit Red Wings look to gain some ground in the Atlantic Division against the struggling San Jose Sharks. Ottawa and Boston are fighting over a wild card spot and also look to strip Detroit of its position in the top 3 in the division. Game time is 7:30pm ET.

Courtesy of: Redwings.nhl.com

Last 10 Games

Detroit: 3-6-1, currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with a 39-21-12 overall record.

San Jose:  5-5-0, currently in 12th place in the Western Conference with a 35-30-8 overall record.

VS. This Season

1-0 in favor of Detroit.

VS. Last 5 Years

10-3-0-1 in favor of San Jose.

Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks Tickets Mar. 26

Detroit Red Wings vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Tickets Mar. 28

New York Islanders vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Mar. 29

Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators Tickets Mar. 31
Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins Tickets Apr. 02

Expected Goaltenders

Detroit: Jimmy Howard (21-12-10)

San Jose: Antti Niemi (28-22-7)

Players To Watch

Detroit: Justin Abdelkader (21G, 20A) is on a roll and has 4 points (2G, 2 A) in his last 2 games including the game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues. His physical play and ability to win battles at the net continue to benefit the team.

San Jose: Joe Pavelski has 5 points (3G, 2A) in his last 5 games and is first in scoring for the San Jose Sharks with 66 points (35G, 31A).

Injuries*

Detroit: Johan Franzen (out, concussion)
              Pavel Datsyuk (game-time decision, lower body

              injury)   

              Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
              Erik Cole (out, upper body injury)             

San Jose: Mike Brown (out, leg)

* As of March 26

From Z to A: Zetterberg and Abdelkader proving to be deadly duo

In the last 5 games, Detroit Red Wings winger Justin Abdelkader has scored 4 goals and each tally has come from the help of line-mate Henrik Zetterberg. The proven chemistry between the two, albeit in two games where the team was on the losing end, has been remarkable and if it continues could be a major boost for the team heading into the postseason.

Courtesy of: Ottawa Citizen

Most of these goals by Abdelkader have been the result of his stellar ability to use his size and drive hard to the net to shovel the puck in even in the face of fierce defensive play. Equally impressive is Zetterberg’s ability to send a see-an-eye pass through traffic to the net that  seems to find Abdelkader’s stick. Zetterberg has 7 points in the past 5 games, leads the Red Wings in assists with 4,1 and is tied for the top in points (56) with Pavel Datsyuk.

Add newcomer Erik Cole’s physical play and knack for winning the puck in the corners and the Red Wings have a top line that is capable of carrying the Red Wings deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs this year. Cole has also contributed since arriving in Detroit from the Dallas Stars, recording 3 points in 4 games as a Red Wing. With Zetterberg he is credited with assisting on the pair of goals that Abdelkader scored in a losing effort against the Calgary Flames.

Historically Abdelkader has been labelled as a capable offensive force but inconsistent in play and hot and cold in getting points. However, being put on a line with Zetterberg has no doubt given him confidence to play his game and it has indeed produced positive results.