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

3 areas the Red Wings need to improve in now

As the month of April approaches, some teams in the NHL are playing their best hockey of the season. Whether they play well to secure home-ice advantage in the postseason, secure a playoff spot in general, or play for pride, players are stepping up for their teams and relishing roles as heroes and spoilers, and sometimes both simultaneously.

Courtesy of: Detroit Free Press

Alternatively, in addition to teams that have struggled all season long, there are teams faltering at this crucial point in the season, either holding a playoff spot and unable to clinch it or currently on the fringe unable to find what it takes to get in. The Detroit Red Wings find themselves in the faltering category, surprisingly still in the top three in the Atlantic Division with mediocre play and the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators unable to catch up to date.

While it is obviously a good thing Detroit is still in the playoffs as it stands now, the bad news is unless they improve in the following areas, they could find themselves eliminated early in the playoffs or worse-out of playoff contention.

Goaltending

Jimmy Howard has been struggling and most people think he has not played as effectively since returning from a groin injury. This was most obvious when Howard was pulled against the San Jose Sharks last week in the first period after letting in the first shot on goal 19 seconds into the game and stopping 6 of 9 shots. Petr Mrazek got the start against the Tampa Bay Lightning and looked impressive however followed that game with a lackluster showing against the New York Islanders. Not every goal can be blamed on Mrazek- 3 were power play goals- however, one was scored off a generous rebound and another was off his own skate from the side of the net. Mrazek was pulled after this goal in favor of Howard.  It is this inconsistent goaltending and these bad goals that are allowed in that are sinking the Red Wings right now.

Special Teams

Currently the Red Wings are 2^nd in the NHL on the power play and a staggering 20^th overall in penalty killing. The penalty kill units, while used a lot less than other teams as Detroit is 22^nd overall in penalty minutes per game, has not been successful and this needs to be remedied in order to give the team any chance of post-season success. Last game alone the Red Wings allowed the Islanders 3 power play goals;  in the last 10 games, the Red Wings have allowed 10 power play goals (including 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 14^th). The Red Wings have been successful on the penalty play, scoring a league-leading 66 power play goals this season. However, they have also given up 8 short-handed goals which places them 3^rd overall this season including one against the Islanders where Tatar tripped over the blue line and two against the Boston Bruins on March 8^th where Stephen Weiss coughed up the puck twice.

Consistent Scoring

The Red Wings have had no problems scoring this season and even some games they have lost have been high-scoring affairs (eg. against San Jose, Arizona, and the New York Islanders in March alone). Nonetheless, it is the lack of consistency among players that continues to be in issue. It is a well-known fact that players go hot and cold in the NHL, however guys like Gustav Nyquist (3 goals in February, 3 so far in March) and Riley Sheahan (2 goals in February, 2 so far in March), and captain Henrik Zettterberg (2 goals since a 3-goal game on January 18^th against the Buffalo Sabres) seem to be going cold at a vital time of the season. Many players on the Red Wings team need to start finding the back of the net in order to be the offensive threat required in securing a playoff stretch and being dominant in the playoffs.

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Islanders Sunday, March 29th @ 5pm ET

The Detroit Red Wings plan on riding a strong effort in their 4-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning when they face the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum. The Red Wings kept pace with the Boston Bruins who won today against the New York Rangers and remain 5 points ahead. Game time is 5pm ET.

Last 10 Games

Detroit: 4-5-1, currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference & 3^rd in the Atlantic Division with a 40-22-12 overall record.

New York Islanders:  2-6-2, currently in 5th place in the Eastern Conference & 3^rd in the Metropolitan Division with a 44-27-5 overall record.

VS. This Season

1-1 tie.

VS. Last 5 Years

5-2 in favor of the New York Islanders.

Courtesy of: New York Post

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

Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 04

Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals Tickets Apr. 05

Expected Goaltenders

Detroit: Petr Mrazek (15-7-1)

New York Islanders: Jaroslav Halak (35-16-2)

Players To Watch

Detroit: Petr Mrazek looks to build on his strong outing against Tampa Bay and was solid after replacing Jimmy Howard in the Red Wings’ 6-4 loss to San Jose this past week. It is anticipated that Coach Mike Babcock will keep Howard out a few more games and continue to play Mrazek who is the better goalie during this crucial stretch of the regular season. Justin Abdelkader continues to find the net and has 6 points (4G, 2 A) in his past 5 games.

New York Islanders: Ryan Strome has 4 points (1G, 3A) in his past 5 games. He is 2^nd in team scoring behind John Tavares with 47 points (15G, 32A).

Injuries*

Detroit: Johan Franzen (out, concussion)
              Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
              Erik Cole (day-to-day, upper body injury)
              Riley Sheahan (day-to-day, upper body injury)          
New York Islanders: Mikhail Grabovski (out, concussion)

* As of March 28th

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, March 28th @ 2pm ET

Coming off a loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Detroit Red Wings hope to break even in their four-game home stand when they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to town.  They are still 5 points ahead of Ottawa and Boston who are fighting over a wild card spot. The Red Wings hope to put some space between them and both teams. Game time is 2pm ET.

Last 10 Games

Detroit: 3-6-1, currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with a 39-22-12 overall record.

Tampa Bay:  7-2-1, currently in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference with a 46-22-7 overall record.

VS. This Season

3-0 in favor of Tampa Bay.

VS. Last 5 Years

7-3 in favor of Tampa Bay.

Courtesy of: Detroit Free Press

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
Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 04

Expected Goaltenders

Detroit: Petr Mrazek (14-7-1)

Tampa Bay: Ben Bishop (36-12-4)

Players To Watch

Detroit: Petr Mrazek hopes to step up and establish himself as the number one goaltender as Jimmy Howard continues to struggle between the pipes. If Mrazek can string a few wins together it will be no surprise if he gets the starts from here on in.

Tampa Bay: Captain Steven Stamkos has 5 points (3G, 2A) in his past 5 games. Stamkos' 67 points (40G, 27A) places him tied in Lightning scoring with Tyler Johnson and tied for 11th overall in NHL scoring.

Injuries*

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

              injury)   

              Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
              Erik Cole (out, upper body injury)
              Riley Sheahan (day-to-day, upper body injury)              

Tampa Bay: Brendan Morrow (day-to-day, upper body injury)                                           Cedric Paquette (day-to-day, upper body injury)

* As of March 27

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

Goals on deflections sink Red Wings in loss to Arizona

The Detroit Red Wings looked to put together consecutive wins last night against a lowly Arizona Coyotes in a game that seemed like a lock. The Coyotes were 1-8-1 in their last 10 and averaging an atrocious 1.97 goals per game. However, the Red Wings were never able to gain a lead and lost 5-4 in overtime to a team merely playing for pride.

Courtesy of: Detroit Free Press

3:08 into overtime, Mark Arcobello was able to score his second goal of the game picking the bottom left corner on Jimmy Howard. While the goal was scored on a partial breakaway, it appears that Howard can take part of the blame on the winning goal as he was unable to cut down the angle on Arcobello and left about a foot open on the left side. Similar to the games played on the Florida road trip, the resulting score did not accurately portray the game that the Red Wings played. In reality, the Red Wings put forth a solid effort but Arizona was able to capitalize on some bounces and deflections that allowed them to get the two points.

On the Coyotes’ first goal of the game, Jimmy Howard made the initial save but during a tangle with John Moore at the net the rebound ended up going in off of Henrik Zetterberg’s knee and then his stick. These garbage goals happen and cannot be blamed on any one player.

The second goal by the Coyotes can arguably be placed on the shoulders of the penalty kill unit that has suffered lately (17^th in the league at 81%). Mark Arcobello was able to squeeze into the penalty kill box formed by the Red Wings untouched to take a pass and bury his first of the game.

David Moss scored the third and fourth goals of the game on deflections from shots by defencemen. On the third goal Howard was in perfect position to save the shot from the point by sliding to the right of the cease but after hitting Moss’ hand the puck soared left and into the net. The fourth- another power play goal after Justin Abdelkader was called for interference- squeaked in after Moss was able to just get a tip on the puck to slide it inside the post.

Three of the five goals scored by Arizona were scored off deflections and cannot be blamed on any player from Detroit- even Zetterberg cannot be blamed for the first goal as he was trying his best to tie up his man. But moving forward to the post-season it still appears that Detroit can afford to tighten up their defence, especially on the penalty kill, and not give the opponent these chances to get a stick on shots and deflect them.

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. Arizona Coyotes Tuesday, March 24th @ 7:30pm ET

The Detroit Red Wings look to win two consecutive games in the month of March when the Arizona Coyotes come to town. The Red Wings hope to gain some ground on the Boston Bruins, the current holder of a wild card spot, and the Ottawa Senators who are in the wild card hunt.

Last 10 Games

Detroit: 4-6-0, currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with a 39-21-11 overall record.

Arizona:  1-8-1, currently in 14th place in the Western Conference with a 21-44-8 overall record.

VS. This Season

1-0 in favor of Detroit.

VS. Last 5 Years

8-5-0-1 in favor of Detroit.

Courtesy of: Redwings.nhl.com

Detroit Red Wings vs. Arizona Coyotes Tickets Mar. 24

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

Expected Goaltenders

Detroit: Jimmy Howard (21-12-9)

Arizona: Mike Smith (11-37-5)

Players To Watch

Detroit: Justin Abdelkader (20G, 19A) has 7 points (6G, 1 A) in his last 10 games including the game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues. He has been going hard to the net and evidently good things are happening for him.

Arizona: Defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has 3 goals in his last 5 games including a 2-goal game against the Colorado Avalanche this past week. Ekman-Larsson leads the Coyotes with 36 points (20G, 16A).

Injuries

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

              injury)   

              Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)

Arizona: N/A