First (preseason) game at LCA set to go

And so it starts. Not officially. After all, Saturday’s Detroit Red Wings-Boston Bruins game at Little Caesars Arena is only an NHL preseason title. But it will be the first time two NHL teams meet at the new facility, so there’s that. “Oh yeah,… Wings forward Tomas Tatar said. “We are all looking forward to it for sure. When you walk in here it’s always a great feeling. What a facility it is. It’s amazing. “Fans will be excited for sure, too. We’re really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a good game.… Even though it won’t count in the standings, you only play one first game in a new facility, so their first chance to taste some home cooking, it matters to the Wings. “I’m sure all the fans are probably pretty stoked about the game tomorrow night, and so are we,… goalie Jimmy Howard said. “We’re excited to finally get to play at home here.… The Wings held their first full practice in the main LCA bowl on Friday and reported the ice surface to be of the highest quality. “The ice is really good,… Howard said. “I think the game ice is better than the practice rink ice right now. Maybe that has to do with it not being used as much. But it seems like it’s not breaking away, it’s not getting bumpy or too snowy, so it seems like they’ve done a really good job with it.… The franchise did extensive research into other stadiums and arenas to find what worked and what didn’t, the endgame being to put all of the good stuff together in one facility. One of the rinks that was heavily copied was Montreal’s Bell Centre, and the players took notice of the resemblance. “Just by looking at the bowl it kind of reminds me of the Bell Centre, how steep it is,… Howard said. “I’m really excited for tomorrow night, to see it with the place filled.… One noticeable difference the team deciphered quickly was that the uniquely live boards - or fresh boards, as Scotty Bowman liked to call them - of Joe Louis Arena are no more. “They don’t seem as lively as the Joe, believe it or not,… Howard said. “I don’t know if that has to do with all the rules and regulations throughout the league but they definitely don’t seem as lively, so we’ll see. “We did a couple of drills today just to see if there’s any bounces or anything like that out there, but for the most part they’re just like any other boards around the league now.… Kronwall Skates Defenseman Niklas Kronwall (back spasms) finally hit the ice for the first time since training camp opened. Kronwall reported that the knee ailment responsible for so much of his woes a year ago appears to have subsided. “It’s more the back than anything, to be honest with you,… Kronwall said. “THe knee has been feeling pretty good for a while. It’s more the back that seized up a little bit. But that’s feeling a lot better now. “It’s nice to be back skating with the guys and we’ll take it step by step.… Kronwall won’t play Saturday but expects to see action in a couple of preseason games. As for Detroit’s other walking wounded, forward P.A. Parenteau (back) returned to the ice and is expected to play Saturday. Forward Justin Abdelkader (groin) is listed as day to day. Captain Henrik Zetterberg (neck) hopes to play by next weekend and the team is awaiting MRI results on what they are terming a mid-body injury to forward Tyler Bertuzzi. Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer