The Detroit Red Wings wrap up their 4-game home stand against the Calgary Flames this evening (7:30 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit/Sportsnet East/Sportsnet West/Sportsnet Ontario/ESPN+/97.1 FM).
Red Wings announcer Ken Kal was the first to say, “Hello” this morning…
Tonight’s Line Ups (note there will be scratches on both sides) pic.twitter.com/yvwJQ9hX3O— Ken Kal (@KenKalDRW) October 21, 2021
The Red Wings let us know that the team was actually skating…
CGY vs DET, 7:30pm. #LGRW
?: https://t.co/a1ZFiGgZn1 pic.twitter.com/PcFZPktEQo— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 21, 2021
In lieu of lines, we received these Tweets…
Alex Nedeljkovic is the first goalie off for Detroit this morning ahead of tonight’s game against Calgary— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) October 21, 2021
Alex Nedeljkovic is off the ice first this morning. #LGRW @DetroitRedWings— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) October 21, 2021
Morning skate ?#LGRW pic.twitter.com/GBFEKKcyah— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) October 21, 2021
And the Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson posted a game-day article discussing “3 Things” about the Flames…
… about the Flames
1) This is supposed to be a bounce-back campaign for Sean Monahan, finally pain-free after hip surgery, but it’s been a struggle so far. The 27-year-old centre has mostly been an offensive non-factor through two games, had too good of a view of Monday’s overtime winner and found himself on the fourth line at practice the following day. Will he remain in that slot against the Red Wings, or was that just a warning?
2) Monahan isn’t the only dude who hasn’t been pulling his weight. As coach Darryl Sutter put it: “We have some guys that have to be better players for us … For the type of team we have, they have to be better players in order for us to win games.”
3) Off-season trade acquisition Tyler Pitlick declared himself ready after his debut in the Flaming C was delayed by a knee injury. The gritty right-winger should help a shorthanded unit that has already allowed three power-play tallies.
And 3 things about the Red Wings:
… about the Red Wings
1) Tyler Bertuzzi, who made headlines as one of the few NHLers who refuses to be vaccinated, is back in the news. This time, the focus is on his scorching start. Heading into Wednesday’s action, the 26-year-old forward was tied for the league lead with five goals. He sniped four of those in a victory over the defending champs.
2) The Red Wings aren’t quite perfect, but a 2-0-1 record is a nice start for a club that has been a doormat for the past several seasons. The key to their early success? “We’ve had really, really strong work ethic and competitiveness in all three games,” coach Jeff Blashill told NHL.com. “We’re going to have to continue to do that.”
3) This is likely the first of many. Nineteen-year-old winger Lucas Raymond, the fourth-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and a could-be contender for the Calder Trophy, collected a keepsake puck when he scored during Tuesday’s 4-1 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets
