Red Wings-Wild game previews, part 2

I posted a Red Wings-Wild game preview overnight, but there are more game previews from other sources ahead of today’s game (12:30 PM EST start on ABC/ESPN+/97.1 FM), so let’s read them:

  1. DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills notes that today’s game begins a back-to-back slate of games, with the Red Wings hosting the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, before the Red Wings will head to Minnesota on Tuesday to wrap up the home-and-home series. Overall, the Wings will play 3 games in 4 nights–and 5 in 7, including the Stadium Series–so that’s a difficult schedule ahead:

“A 12:30 p.m. game [on Saturday] and a 6 p.m. game [on Sunday], so there’s definitely enough time to recover,” Joe Veleno said. “Especially both [games] at home, I think that’s pretty advantageous. Guys are eager to get going again.”

The Red Wings last played on Feb. 8, when they had both their seven-game winning streak and eight-game point streak end with a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Todd McLellan said he believes Detroit has done a good job overall of rising to challenges since he became head coach on Dec. 26. However, McLellan acknowledged the club fell short of doing that against Tampa Bay and, as a result, he’s expecting more out of his players come Saturday afternoon.

“We got scored on four times [in the first period], should have been six or seven with some of the chances [the Lightning] missed,” McLellan said. “I was disappointed because I don’t think we accepted that challenge. I think we gave ourselves permission to get to the break four hours early. We can’t afford that, and it’s unacceptable. We did take them back to that [on Tuesday]. Not with video, just with a conversation.”

The Red Wings enter Saturday holding the Eastern Conference’s second Wild-Card spot with 27 regular-season games remaining. Like many of his teammates, Lucas Raymond said this upcoming stretch run really excites him.

“[The 4 Nations Face-Off] was an unreal experience, but at the same time, it’s really nice to be back with the guys again and putting on the Winged Wheel,” said Raymond, who recorded three assists in three games with Sweden at the international event. “I think I’m even more excited for what’s to come now, so just excited to get back, get ready for [Saturday] and take it from there.”

Mills continues…

2. If you want a blast from the past, MinnesotaWild.com’s Zoe Fielder offers this retrospective on the Wings-Wild series from a year ago:

Minnesota went 1-1-0 against Detroit last season.

Detroit won the series-opening contest, 4-1, at Little Caesars Arena (11/26). Minnesota earned a 6-3 win in the second meeting at Xcel Energy Center (12/27).

LW Marcus Johansson (2-1=3) and LW Kirill Kaprizov (1-2=3) led Minnesota with three points each. C Joel Eriksson Ek had two points (1-1=2). G Filip Gustavsson went 1-1-0 with a 3.04 GAA and a .880 SV% in his two starts vs. Detroit.

D Shane Gostisbehere led the Red Wings with five points (1-4=5). C J.T. Compher (0-2=2), LW Alex DeBrincat (1-1=2), LW David Perron (2-0=2) and C Dylan Larkin (1-1=2) notched two points each. G Alex Lyon saved 37-of-38 shots faced to earn a win in the first meeting. G James Reimer stopped 25-of-31 shots faced in a loss in the second meeting.

3. As I noted in last night’s game preview, Wild coach John Hynes, forward Matt Boldy and defenseman Brock Faber are meeting the team in Detroit this morning, so, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Tim Robinson notes, this could be the final appearance of a Red Wings nemesis at LCA:

And there’s a possible sentimental aspect to this match-up. It’s the last time fans will likely see Marc-Andre Fleury in uniform in Detroit after 20 year in the NHL. Fleury has been in net for 20 seasons, and is the last player who was active when Steve Yzerman was still a player.

There’s no guarantee he’ll play, but it would be fun for old times’ sake.

4. Finally, the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton offers the following from coach McLellan:

The Red Wings won seven straight heading into their last game before the break, before falling flat in a 6–3 home defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning.  To coach Todd McLellan, that game represents a rare lapse in focus from a team that enjoyed a generally dominant start to 2025.

“I know that this group has been really good with challenges, whether it comes from the head coach or the assistant coach or the leadership group,” McLellan said on Tuesday, following Detroit’s first practice since returning from the break.  “I thought the one challenge we did fail was that Tampa Bay game [before the break].  Last game, we didn’t take a penalty, we gave up [18] shots…got scored on [six] times…I was disappointed because I didn’t think we accepted that challenge, and I think we gave ourselves permission to get to the break four hours early, and we can’t afford that, and it’s unacceptable, so we did take them back to that today.  Not with video, but just with conversation, and they will see some of it.”

McLellan added that he’d hope that the Red Wings will embrace each game with intensity, regardless of their place in the playoff chase, saying, “I’d like to think that we’re a group that regardless of where we are in the standings, that’s important to them.  We’ll have a better long-term look to our team if we value that at any point in the year.  And we have to instill that in them, not just because hey, we’re close.  It’s because we’re Detroit Red Wings, and we’re trying to get better every day.”

Update:

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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!