Yes it’s a big homestand, certainly the most significant of the season for the Detroit Red Wings.
It all starts Thursday with a visit from the Montreal Canadiens followed by a Saturday matinee against the Pittsburgh Penguins and then a Monday tilt versus the Buffalo Sabres.
“These three games at home, they’re going to be important for us,… said Detroit goalie Petr Mrazek, who gets the start Thursday.
That being said, they can’t let themselves get overwhelmed by the task at hand. Deadlocked with the Philadelphia Flyers for the final wildcard playoff spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, every point is vital to the Red Wings.
“We’re just looking at it as one game at a time,… left-winger Justin Abdelkader said. “We’re not looking at it as a three-game homestand. We’re focused on Montreal. It’s two big points at hand.
“We’ve just got to go out there and we’ve obviously been comfortable at home, so we’ve just got to come out and play well.…
While on paper it might seem that the Wings are in good stead – both the Canadiens and Sabres are long out of the playoff chase – that doesn’t always translate into success.
“Montreal has nothing to lose so they’re just going to come out and a little looser,… Abdelkader said. “They always play us hard.
“It’s a big game for us.…
Detroit coach Jeff Blashill shared Abdelkader’s opinion that it would prove foolhardy to take a win over the Habs for granted.
“I think first of all when teams are out of the playoffs they can be dangerous,… Blashill said. “Certainly they have young eager guys in the lineup that want to show that they are NHL players without really the pressure of having to win.
“I think there’s such a fine line between teams in the NHL today that whether you’re in the playoffs or you’re out of the playoffs, you’re a really good hockey team. A number of teams have proven that. We just played on in Columbus that was out and they were every bit as good as any team we’ve played that’s in. I assume we’ll get the same type of effort from Montreal tonight.…
For the Wings, it’s just about winning – now, and again, and again – it what’s threatening to become an uphill battle to extend their playoff streak to 25 years.
“We have to win hockey games,… Blashill said. “It starts Thursday. We have to win a hockey game.
“We don’t have many left, so we better come ready to play and certainly take advantage of our home ice. I think we’ve done a good job of that in the second half of the year overall.
“We have to be a real good home-ice team here in this stretch.…
Mantha Motivated It may be a home game for the Red Wings, but the opponent is the team that Detroit rookie forward Anthony Mantha grew up knowing as his hometown team.
“Oh, for sure,… Mantha, 21, of Longueuil, Que. said of facing the Canadiens. “I've been waiting for that day a long time.…
Mantha’s grandfather Andre Pronovost is a former Red Wings left-winger who won four Stanley Cups with the Canadiens from 1957-60 and will be among 14 family members in attendance at Joe Louis Arena.
“It’s huge, I mean, he was my idol growing up,… Mantha said of his grandfather. “He played for Montreal, Boston, (the Minnesota) North Stars and obviously Detroit, so for me it’s just following in his steps and trying to accomplish as much as he did by winning four Stanley Cups.… Mantha has busied himself by seeking to convince those closest to him to end their love affair with the bleu, blanc et rouge.
“All my family grew up as Montreal fans, all my friends grew up as Montreal fans, so I’m trying to convert them to Detroit right now, and that’s probably why they came up here today,… Mantha said.
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