Game Day
The Wings (17-13-9) take on the Panthers (14-19-5) in their first game back after the Holiday break. The Panthers are ten points back of the Red Wings in the Atlantic Division standings but have managed to win both games against the Wings so far this year.
Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader will return to the lineup tonight. The captain hasn’t played since December 1, against Ottawa and the team is 3-6-2 without him.
After a big win against the Leafs on Dec 21st, the Wings were shut out by the lowly Islanders in the last game before the Christmas break.
So far, in the month of December, the Wings are just 4-6-2 and without a win tonight in Florida and another win in Nashville on Monday the will post their first losing month of the season so far. In contrast, the Panthers had a five game win streak and are 7-4-0 in December.
Jonathan Ericsson will miss tonight’s game as well as the next 3-5 weeks with fractured ribs. PROJECTED LINES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
RED WINGS
Jurco – Datsyuk – Bertuzzi Abdelkader – Zetterberg – Alfredsson Miller – Andersson – Tatar Cleary – Glendening – Nyquist
Kronwall – DeKeyser Kindl – Quincey Smith – Lashoff
Gustavsson (starting) Mrazek
Injuries: Weiss, Ericsson, Howard, Franzen, Helm
PANTHERS
Fleischmann – Bjugstad – Huberdeau Bergenheim – Barkov – Boyes Matthias – Goc – Kopecky Gomez – Shore – Hayes
Campbell – Gilbert Petrovic – Olsen Kulikov – Weaver
Clemmensen (Starting) Markstrom
Injuries: Jovanoski, Thomas, Gudbranson, Upshall