Of Red Wings-Flyers-related note ahead of tonight’s game between the two teams (7 PM EST start on TNT/97.1 FM):
- DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted an article previewing tonight’s game:
“A unique situation in that we just played them,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said. “A really good team. I like the depth of their lines…They have an ideal fourth line, so this will be a challenge for us.”
Detroit will try to meet that challenge head-on as it continues its three-game homestand, which began with a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Activated from injured reserve after Wednesday’s morning skate, goalie Alex Lyon will start against the Flyers. Lyon hasn’t played since Nov. 25 because of a lower-body injury.
“It always stinks [missing time],” Lyon said. “Obviously, being healthy is tied to your livelihood so it’s an important factor. It’s important staying healthy, but at the same time, things happen. Really happy to be going now. Obviously, I’ve been out on the ice here the last few days and feeling pretty good.”
In nine games this season, Lyon has posted a 4-4-0 record, 2.74 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and one shutout.
“When you have an injury and a setback later, there’s nothing worse,” Lyon said. “You just want to nip it in the bud, make sure everything is good. Obviously, mentally, you don’t want to just feel it out. I want to try to come in, hit the ground running and pick up where I left off. That’s where my focus is right now, just being the best goalie version of myself that I can be for this team.”
2. The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton spoke with Alex DeBrincat regarding tonight’s game:
The Red Wings will be looking to build on their offensive successes against the Toronto Maple Leafs their last time out Saturday. When asked about the strengths of that performance, winger Alex DeBrincat said, “I think we did a lot of things that we’ve been lacking on a lot this year. We got a lot of traffic to the net. That first goal, just shooting from the point, getting a lot of shots on net, and creating off of that. I think when we shot a lot more we can get pucks back and have some more O zone time, so I think that helped us in that game.”
DeBrincat went on to explain the ways throwing pucks and bodies toward the net can open up the rest of Detroit’s attack. “If there’s a rebound, I think it’s always a 50-50 battle in the corner, and if we win that, they might be a little disorganized, so I think it helps create a lot. You just gotta win the battle and try to attack after that…Sometimes just getting the puck to the net and going off of that is great. Sometimes it’ll go in, you get a flukey goal and get energy that way, or you get extended O zone time and just feel good about the chances you’re getting and keep going that way.”
Tonight at LCA, the Red Wings will look to keep creating chaos around the net as they did Saturday with a shot-first mentality and an eagerness to recover loose pucks.
3. MLive’s Ansar Khan posted the Red Wings’ probable lineup…
Vladimir Tarasenko-Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat-Andrew Copp-Patrick Kane
Michael Rasmussen-J.T. Compher-Tyler Motte
Joe Veleno-Marco Kasper-Christian Fischer
Simon Edvinsson-Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot-Jeff Petry
Erik Gustafsson-Justin Holl
Alex Lyon (starting), Ville Husso (back-up)
4. And Philly Hockey Now’s William James posted the Flyers’ probable lineup, Samuel Ersson excluded:
Forwards
Joel Farabee – Sean Coutourier – Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett – Morgan Frost – Matvei Michkov
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Scott Laughton – Ryan Poehling – Garnet Hathaway
Defensemen
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler – Rasmus Ristolainen
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
5. The Flyers’ website posted clips of Morgan Frost and coach John Tortorella’s pregame comments as well.
Update: Here’s the Flyers’ game-day preview:
All eyes on us tonight as we battle the Red Wings in front of a national audience.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) December 18, 2024
📺: @NHL_On_TNT
📻: @975TheFanatic #PHIvsDET | @PALottery pic.twitter.com/a0jX4pX18D
