Both the Hockey News’s Connor Eargood and DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted Red Wings-Senators game previews ahead of tonight’s exhibition game between the teams (7 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit/TSN5).
Detroit’s optional morning skate was sparsely attended, although a few notables took the ice. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson was there, which means he’s playing the second game of a back-to-back today. So were prospects Nate Danielson and Carter Mazur, who didn’t play in Thursday’s game against the Maple Leafs. And one face that hasn’t been on the ice much due to maintenance days — J.T. Compher — also made his return to the ice.
“Tonight is important for him to get those quality reps,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde explained. “This is a unique exhibition schedule. We play six games in six days, but this is the last opportunity to get some reps until we played in a week, which is obviously when you want to be peaked out.”
Detroit will have to catch Compher up to the rest of the group. In a similar way, it’s also an opportunity to get goaltender Alex Lyon up to speed, too, in what is likely to be his one full start of the preseason. Lalonde’s plan remains to give his NHL starters full games to get acclimated. Lyon is due for his, after Talbot played a full 60 against the Maple Leafs and Husso did so on the road in Pittsburgh.
In the case of Lyon, he is in an odd position where he’s the incumbent starter for Detroit, but that situation came from circumstance more than any real planning. He has to prove himself all over again this preseason, with Talbot and Husso also looking strong in their respective performances. It’s likely that the goaltending battle lasts into the season, so long as Lyon proves his confidence in that equation.
For the Senators, this is the final road game of the preseason slate, followed by a home game Saturday against Montreal. That game will be Ottawa’s dress rehearsal for the season, so to speak, so the lineup it will send to Detroit is prospect heavy. That means no David Perron homecoming, for now. You’ll have to wait until the regular season.
And here are Mills’ remarks:
The Red Wings have been integrating new faces and building chemistry throughout Training Camp. Erik Gustafsson, who signed a two-year free-agent contract with Detroit in July, said it didn’t take him long to feel settled in with his new club.
“Ever since I came here, all the guys have been open arms and helped me with whatever I need,” Gustafsson said. “Great couple of weeks before Training Camp started, so I felt very comfortable before that even started.”
The consensus among Gustafsson and his teammates is while this year’s Training Camp has been demanding, it’s exactly what the Red Wings need as they continue to prepare for the upcoming campaign.
“Every practice has been tough,” the 32-year-old defenseman said. “That’s what Training Camp is for. I’ve been around a couple of teams, and this has been the hardest camp I’ve been part of. It’s good. Gets you ready for when the season starts and the preseason games like today. It’s been good battles in practice too, a lot of intensity and physical games.”
With Opening Night less than a week away, Gustafsson said the Red Wings want to keep focusing on the details in head coach Derek Lalonde’s system and structure.
“Everyone has to be on the same level,” Gustafsson said. “I know we’re going to be ready when the puck is dropped next week. You can feel that in practice. Maybe it’s not working too well now in the preseason, but we’re playing with different D-partners, forwards centers. What you can see in the practice, you can kind of feel that everyone is ready to have the season get going now.”
The Senators’ website posted a bare-bones preview which includes interviews with coach Travis Green, forward Adam Gaudette and defenseman Carter Yakemchuk.
