Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that the Red Wings have a brutal opening-couple-of-weeks’ schedule in a “The Daily” column this morning…
The Red Wings home-heavy schedule from tonight’s Opening Day until Oct. 23 seems like a major test. Playing five Atlantic Division games, plus another Eastern Conference game, sandwiched around Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers, is more like a final exam than a test.
After tonight’s game against Montreal, the Red Wings play Toronto Saturday at home, and then two more home games next Wednesday and Friday against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. On Sunday, Oct. 19, the Oilers come to town. The lone road game in this stretch comes Oct. 22 at Buffalo, and then back to Detroit the following night to meet the Islanders.
Based on that schedule, we will have an early indication about how the Detroit’s youth-infused lineup will stack up against division rivals and against top teams like the Panthers and Oilers who were in last season’s Stanley Cup Final.
“I’m okay with that,” Coach Todd McLellan said. “I think it should put us on our toes. We have to play these teams at some point…The gauntlet you have to go through. Well, it happens at some point. You know, we can’t get overly high or overly low on what might happen throughout the first five, six games. We have to be aware that there’ll be ups and downs, and if there’s downs, we can’t drag ourselves into the mud and never get out of it.”
And Bob Duff offers “Five interesting elements ahead of the Red Wings’ opener“:
Red Wings Rookie Bonanza
Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg Nygard all figure to be making their NHL debuts for Detroit. If they do, it will be the most NHL debuts by Red Wing players in a season opener since the 1990-91 season.
On October 4, 1990, Sergei Fedorov, Johan Garpenlov, Mike Sillinger, and Par Djoos all made their NHL bows for Detroit in a 3-3 tie at New Jersey. Two nights later, on October 6, 1990, Keith Primeau, Detroit’s 1990 first-round draft pick, made his NHL debut.
In total, during the 1990-91 season, 14 players made their NHL debuts for the Red Wings. The others were Gary Shuchuk, Bob Wilkie, Tom Bissett, Dave Gagnon, Scott King, Gord Kruppke, Chris Luongo, Bill McDougall, and Marc Potvin.
Seventh Heaven
The 201st selection in the 2023 NHL entry draft, Finnie would be the first seventh-round draft pick to play for the Red Wings since Henrik Zetterberg. The former Detroit captain was the 199th overall choice in the 1999 draft.
Zetterberg made his NHL debut on October 10, 2002, in a 6-3 win over the Sharks in San Jose. He dished out an assist in the win, but that isn’t what Zetterberg recalls about his first taste of NHL action.
“I got clocked by (Sharks defenseman) Scott Hannan in the corner on my first shift,” Zetterberg said.
Allen posted a short Red Wings-Canadiens game preview ahead of tonight’s game as well (7 PM EDT start on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit/TSN2/RDS/97.1 FM):
Hot: The Red Wings’ decision to promote prospects Axel Sandin Pellikka, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and speedy Emmitt Finnie has created excitement among Detroit’s fans. Finnie is expected to play with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, while Sandin Pellikka will see power play time as a point man. Brandsegg-Nygard has a wicked shot and plays a physical game.
Not: Veteran JT Compher. He’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, and the team needs more from him to have an improved chance of making the playoffs.
Spotlight: John Gibson was brought in to bring more consistency to the Detroit goaltending. His career save percentage is .910. If he can be near that number this season, he could be the difference between the Red Wings qualifying for the playoffs or extending their drought.
Absence: James van Riemsdyk is not expected to play. He is still trying to make himself NHL ready after starting training camp late because of family issues.
Story: The Red Wings are trying to avoid missing the playoffs for a 10th consecutive season…Patrick Kane starts the season needing 32 points to pass Mike Modano to become the all-time leading points producer for players born in the United States. He needs eight goals for 500…Erik Gustafsson has cleared waivers and can be sent to Grand Rapids when van Riemsdyk is activated. The Red Wings have eight defensemen.
