The Red Wings’ beat writers filed their game-day notebooks over the course of the last hour, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes the Wings’ defensive situation going into tonight’s game vs. St. Louis…
Injured Edvinsson (upper body) skated today, but has been ruled out for tonight. Chiarot was injured in Saturday’s lopsided loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He’s also out, and the Red Wings will reevaluate him after their Christmas break. Coach Derek Lalonde said his hope is Edvinsson will be back in the lineup Friday when the team plays the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Obviously, we have not handled Simon being out very well,” Lalonde said.
The Red Wings are 0-3 when he doesn’t play at all, including the last two games against Montreal.
“It’s probably on me and our staff to be creative tonight, ” Lalonde said, “and get that home matchup and our D to step up.”
Chiarot had been plus-9 in the four games before being injured.
“It’s an upper body, something that’s plagued him throughout his career,” Lalonde said. “Hopefully, we’ll get a better feel with a couple days off.”
MLive’s Ansar Khan spoke with Alex DeBrincat, Justin Holl and coach Lalonde about the Wings’ need to earn a moral victory tonight…
“We got to empty the tank tonight,” Alex DeBrincat said. “Leave it all out there and get the two points.”
The power play has been ranked in the top 10 all season and still sits ninth (22.7 percent), but it’s just 2 for 25 in the past nine games (eight percent).
“Today’s penalty kills, you get those passive diamonds and you have to get the box moving with puck movement,” Lalonde said. “If you get stagnant and you just sit there, you’re playing into the passive penalty kill. You have to have a certain plan against certain penalty kills and sometimes we just get in a perimeter-stickhandle- hold it, and it’s too easy to defend it.”
They continue to swap out some personnel and switch players between units.
“I think we’re still generating chances, they just aren’t going in,” DeBrincat said. “When that happens, you got to change some stuff up. We got to go out there and execute and we have the players to do it. We just got to put it in the net and try to feel good about ourselves, be a difference-maker. I think when we get two, three chances in a game, we got to put one in the net and really help the team out.”
Also:
The Red Wings have allowed 13 goals in the past three games and four or more goals in 5-of-6 games. That’s not all on the goaltending, but Cam Talbot, who starts tonight, and Alex Lyon haven’t been sharp in recent games while returning from injuries.
“What was also a stinger the last two games was the one reliable position for us has been those two, Talbot and Lyon, and they had struggles the last couple of games,” Lalonde said. “So, I expect Cam to get his game back in order.”
As far as the Blues are concerned, StLouisBlues.com’s Chris Pinkert posted a game-day update…
Alexandre Texier is earning a promotion to the first line on Monday night as the St. Louis Blues play their final game before a three-day holiday break against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena (6 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network, 101 ESPN).
Texier has dressed in four of the last five games after being out of the lineup often this year as he dealt with an early-season injury and a handful of games as a healthy scratch.
“The plays that Texier has been making the last two games off the rush, I just figured we needed a spark offensively,” said Blues Head Coach Jim Montgomery, who is moving Jake Neighbours to the third line to make room for Texier up top. “Jakey, his traits help any line. He’s a guy that can get anyone started. Him and [Oskar Sundqvist] being able to play with [Zack Bolduc], Boldy’s learning how to play. (If) he plays with those two, he’s going to learn how to play in the league the right way quick.”
Judging by Monday’s morning skate in Detroit, Montgomery has several other lineup tweaks for the game. Radek Faksa, who had a setback after being cut by a skate close to the groin, will not play after making his return Saturday in Florida. With Faksa out, that creates room for Mathieu Joseph to center the fourth line. Brandon Saad will sit out.
On defense, Tyler Tucker will come in and replace Scott Perunovich.
Jordan Binnington will start in goal.
The Hockey News’s Lou Korac posted the Blues’ projected lineup…
Alexandre Texier-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich
Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou
Jake Neighbours-Oskar Sundqvist-Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko-Mathieu Joseph-Nathan Walker
Cam Fowler-Colton Parayko
Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk
Ryan Suter-Tyler Tucker
Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Brandon Saad and Scott Perunovich. Nick Leddy (lower body) and Radek Faksa (lower body) are out.
Korac also posted a state-of-the-Blues game preview…
The Blues (15-16-4), who finish out their pre-Christmas schedule Monday against the Detroit Red Wings (13-16-4) at 6 p.m. (FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM), are 0-2-1 their past three games and goal-scoring has been tough to come by.
So who can help get the ball — or puck — rolling? The top players.
Thomas was on a seven-game point streak (four goals, nine assists) until being limited to one assist the past three games.
The Blues are due for a game in which they are able to fill the net with goals, and the Red Wings, who are 3-5-2 in December and allowing 3.6 goals per game for the month, including nine over the weekend in back-to-back losses against the Montreal Canadiens, are ripe for the taking.
Thomas hasn’t lit up Detroit for his career (one assist in seven games), but it just feels like a spot in which he can rise above it all and help his side get a much-needed win.
Thomas is the lone Blues player averaging more than a point per game (24 points; six goals, 18 assists in 23 games).
And the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton added this scouting report from coach Lalonde:
On the other side of the ledger, the Blues enter the evening’s action at 15-16-4 for the season, having replaced coach Drew Bannister with Jim Montgomery days after Montgomery was fired by the Bruins. When asked by The Hockey News this morning where he sees Montgomery’s fingerprints on the Blues, Lalonde said, “The on top, the pressure points, forecheck, OZP track, things like that are his identity…It’s interesting he did not bring his Boston Bruins D zone with him, which is a unique D zone in itself, but I just think more of a pressure, take time and space away identity.”
Also:
Elf on the Shelf!? No, it’s Razor in a Blazer!
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) December 23, 2024
The Red Wings are planning a Lucas Raymond plush figure giveaway tonight. The first 7,500 fans get one
pic.twitter.com/GlAbXz3EBj
