The Detroit Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks tonight (7:30 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit/NBCS California/97.1 FM).
The Sharks are in a very different place in the standings (6th in the Pacific Division), but they’re 17-15-and-1 record is quite similar to Detroit’s 15-15-and-3 record. The Sharks have won 2 of their past 3 games, but they are smarting from an 8-5 loss to the Penguins this past Sunday.
Detroit is, of course, 0-and-2 in its post-holiday break games, and is looking to rebound after Sunday’s 5-2 loss to Boston while trying to salvage its sinking power play (31st in the league). I think we could all agree that putting Lucas Raymond in the “bumper” position seems a little strange, and Joe Veleno substituting for Filip Zadina makes more sense, but the PP needs to restore its motion to really get going again. When guys are standing around, they’re too easily defended.
The Wings have also lost 6 of their past 8 games, so late December and early January have not been kind to the 5th-place team in the Atlantic Division standings.
According to MLive’s Tyler Kuehl, this is the first meeting between these teams since New Year’s Eve of 2019, so if you’re a little rusty as to who the Sharks are, that’s okay.
Yesterday, the Mercury News’s Curtis Pashelka reported that the Sharks are planning on shaking up their defense after Sunday’s loss, so we’ll probably find out more about the Sharks’ lineup during their morning skate today.
The Red Wings and their beat writers have been a little delinquent in terms of posting morning skate stuff during game days, so our one Tweet of note is a video of Moritz Seider doing his puck-bouncing trick during warm-ups:
Game Day vs. San Jose. #LGRW
?: 7:30pm ET
?: @BallySportsDET
?: @971theticketxyt
?: @UWMLife pic.twitter.com/zv95qW7GXa— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 4, 2022
Ken Kal did say “hello” at the end of the morning skate…
Tonight’s roster for the stat guru’s out there in the twitterverse! Note there will be scratches. pic.twitter.com/oKh2Q7nWNc— Ken Kal (@KenKalDRW) January 4, 2022
In fact, our friends from San Jose said, “Good morning!” before we got anything out of the morning skate from the beat writers…
Stop #2 on the road!
?: Detroit, MI
?: 4:30 p.m. PT
?: NBCSCA
?: Sharks Audio Network
#️⃣: #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/YCizMIVwxv— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 4, 2022
You may also take this suggestion from the Boston Globe’s Kevin Dupont for what you will, in noting that the Bruins held Jake DeBrusk out of their morning skate:
DeBrusk not skating this morn – after finally showing some pop in his game over the weekend.
Foligno to LW w/ Coyle, Steen.— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) January 4, 2022
DET with the cap room and need for DeBrusk.
Bruins played there Sunday. First-hand look for the DRW.— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) January 4, 2022
I’d have no problem with that kind of move as long as the cost was reasonable.
DET not alone in terms of cap space/need re: DeBrusk.
BUF/ANA also have been recent BOS trade partners. But DET could be better fit right now.
Have to think large portion of Rask’s cap hit would be in DeBrusk’s $3.675.
ALL speculation here. https://t.co/LFPdw73PjU— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) January 4, 2022
Update: Rut roh:
#NHLBruins place Jake DeBrusk and three staff members in @NHL COVID-19 protocol: https://t.co/gJSjVHVBDT— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 4, 2022
