Post-Friday practice Tweets: Kasper’s got ‘grit’; Motte has UBI; Copp has the flu; Petry, Lyon to play vs. NSH

The Detroit Red Wings practiced without Andrew Copp or Tyler Motte on Friday afternoon, having recalled Marco Kasper for emergency reasons ahead of tomorrow’s matinee game against the 0-and-4 Nashville Predators (2 PM EDT start on Bally Sports Detroit).

The Red Wings shook up their lines and defensive pairings as a result of Copp and Motte’s absences–the power play, too–and it appears that the team will go with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen if Copp or Motte can’t go tomorrow.

The 1-and-3 Red Wings were still stinging from last night’s 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers when they spoke with the press after practice. You can guess who the star of the day happened to be:

Meanwhile, Field Level Media has already written up a preview of tomorrow afternoon’s Red Wings-Predators game:

The Predators have been outscored 18-8 in their 0-4 start.

“We’ve got to find a way,” defenseman Roman Josi said. “It’s hard right now. Every little thing matters. It’s just one of those times where we’ve got to dig in for every little play. We’ve just got to play a little harder. Everybody’s got a little more, and we’ve just got to dig in a little more to get that first win.”

All but one of Nashville’s losses have come at home. The Predators were defeated by Edmonton, 4-2, on Thursday.

Jonathan Marchessault scored his first goal since signing a five-year contract as a free agent but it wasn’t enough.

The good news is that most of the team is aware it can overcome a poor beginning. The Predators lost 10 of their first 15 games last season but still made the playoffs.

“Right now, I think we’re a little fragile group,” Marchessault said. “Like the beginning of the season is not going like we want. In the offseason, everybody says how good you guys are going to be and everything, and we maybe have to think that we’re a good team but not good enough. We’ve got to work harder than the opponent.”

Then there’s 97.1 the Ticket’s Pat Caputo’s missive on the Red Wings, which is…acerbic…

Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat and Moritz Seider are getting big-boy money, and have played like fat cats finding endless open cans of tuna and belching.

If you have watched the Red Wings and wondered where Patrick Kane is, he actually has been playing. You just haven’t noticed because he hardly touches the puck. He has a 36.6 Corsi. How is that even possible?

You can go on and on about this. J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, Joe Veleno and Andrew Copp are all being compensated nicely only to violate the faith general manager Steve Yzerman put in them. As for Jeff Petry, Ben Chariot, Ollie Maatta and Justin Holl, otherwise known as, apparently, $13.55 million thrown down the drain under the guise of garnering a “veteran” defense corps, ah, that’s on Yzerman.

Yeah. The Red Wings reacted by calling up Marco Kasper. Hopefully it will mean more than pouring a can of 5 Hour Energy in the mouth of a corpse.

Perhaps, though, it will be a reminder the season’s here, so wake up. There are 78 games left. This will be forgotten soon if the Red Wings just win a few games.

But let’s face it. The Eastern Conference is brutally difficult and the Red Wings can’t afford this malaise to last.

Take that for what you will…

And meanwhile, in Nashville…

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

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