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The Detroit Red Wings commence an important four game work week tonight when they host the Colorado Avalanche at the Joe Louis Arena. Puck drop this evening is at 7:30 PM ET. (Fox-Sports Detroit)
What once used to be the best rivalry in the National Hockey League is now just another game on the schedule. However, more importantly for the Red Wings, it commences a difficult four games in six night stretch that provides a golden opportunity for the Red Wings to attempt to jump ahead of the pack in the bunched up Western Conference. With 9 teams separated by a mere 3 points from slots #3 to #11, a strong week would likely help springboard the Red Wings to the upper half of the playoff teams in the Western Conference.
This week's opponents are all below Detroit in the standings (Colorado, Edmonton, Columbus) and with three of the four contests at home with only a quick flight to and from Columbus in between, the time is now for Detroit to attempt to make a move up the standings. That being said, with close to 75% of all NHL games ending up as one-goal contests, there are few easy dates on the schedule these days, no matter what the standings may suggest.
Nevertheless, the best news for the Red Wings is the fact they are playing better hockey of late, having gone 3-1-1 in their past 5 games and getting healthier just at the right time in the schedule. The Red Wings will have to guard against a letdown following their emotional 2-1 home loss in a shootout to the Chicago Blackhawks on national television Sunday afternoon.
Detroit continues to get solid play from their 3rd and 4th lines, led by rookie
Tomas Tatar. Although most Red Wing fans and neutral observers seem to continue asking the question as to why Tatar cannot take
Justin Abdelkader's spot alongside
Pavel Datsyuk, Tatar continues to produce alongside his Grand Rapids teammate
Joakim Andersson and
Patrick Eaves In addition, the blueline is as healthy as it has been all season long. So much so, that
Ian White will be a healthy scratch for the 3rd consecutive game.
With the recent signing of
Brian Lashoff to a three-year one-way contract and White becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer, the writing appears to be on the wall that with the likely upcoming return of
Carlo Colaiacovo playing time will be hard to come by for the likes of
Jakub Kindl,
Kent Huskins and possibly White or Lashoff, if all nine rearguards are healthy.
The question has arisen if perhaps GM Ken Holland should look to move a rearguard with potentially nine healthy defensemen on the roster. White might be seen as the easiest to move, as he is a right-handed shot, which is sought after from the point and is also an unrestricted free agent, which would not restrict a team to take on his almost $3 million beyond this season, when the salary cap contracts by almost 10%. Ottawa and Carolina have been rumored as potential landing spots for a player like White, if Holland is inclined to garner something in return for an asset he most likely won't resign in the summer.
As for the injuries, the Red Wings still have four regulars out up front, with
Valteri Filppula (shoulder), and
Mikael Samuelsson (index finger), the most likely to return soon, possibly by the weekend.
Darren Helm and
Todd Bertuzzi both remain out of the lineup with back issues. Helm hasn't been seen on the ice since Jan. 26 and is hoping to lace up his skates later this week to hit the ice for the first time.
Bertuzzi isn't working out or skating since February 7th and does not appear set to return to the lineup anytime soon.
The Avalanche will play their 2nd game with recently signed center
Ryan O'Reilly tonight. He received nearly 16 minutes of ice time in his season debut, which was a 2-1 overtime loss in Columbus.
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DETROIT LINE COMBOS and PAIRINGS (projected):
Franzen - Zetterberg - Brunner
Abdelkader - Datsyuk - Cleary
Tatar - Andersson - Eaves
Miller - Emmerton - Tootoo
Kronwall - Ericsson
Quincey - Smith
Lashoff - Kindl
Howard
(Gustavsson)
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