The Detroit Red Wings 2018 preseason finally starts tonight! The Wings begrudgingly welcome the Pittsburg Penguins into Little Caesars Arena tonight.
The much anticipated NHL regular season is finally, just a couple short weeks away. The Detroit Red Wings open their NHL preseason schedule tonight. It will be a quick turn around with another game scheduled Thursday.
The Detroit Red Wings, like many NHL teams, will use the preseason to grade their young prospects. As the Wings play the preseason out, they will start to thin the herd and get the group of players and line combinations set how they want to start the season.
Tonight Detroit will feature their top line. Dylan Larkin will skate between Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi. This line is expected to be the Red Wings top line. It will be interesting to see this young group work tonight.
Anthony Mantha will serve as the goal scorer on this top line. Mantha has the potential to net 30 goals this season for the Detroit Red Wings.
Dylan Larkin will anchor the line down the middle. Larkin has become a dynamic playmaker and we expect this to continue. Larkin has the potential to for a 20 goal, 50 assist season.
Tyler Bertuzzi will start on the opposite wing of Mantha on this line. Bertuzzi will do what Bertuzzi’s do best. Tyler will be the worker, expect Bertuzzi to muck it up in the corners and head to the front of the net. Bertuzzi will be trying to dig the puck out and get it to his linemates and head to the dirt areas on the ice.
We will have to wait until tomorrow to see the possible third line combination. Thomas Vanek and Filip Zadina are both nursing very minor injuries and are both expected to play tomorrow. Expect to get a look at Zadina, Vanek, and AA tomorrow.
Jeff Blashill mentioned Dennis Cholowski and Filip Hronek would get work head-manning the point on the power play. One is expected to play on the PP tonight with the other getting the work tomorrow.
Michael Rasmussen we expected would play alongside Frans Nielsen and Gus Nyquist once the season starts. That won’t be the case tonight; Ras is set to play with Joe Veleno and Justin Abdelkader. A good line to watch. Veleno has been opening eyes throughout camp.
The Penguins will not dress Sidney Crosby, Malkin or Phil Kessel tonight. The Wings will feature Jimmy Howard tonight in-goal. He is expected to split time tonight with 28-year-old Harri Sateri.
It will be a fun night, hockey is back. Enjoy watching the Detroit Red Wings prospects mixed in with some veteran players tonight on Fox Sports Detroit. You can listen on the radio at 971 the ticket. Game time is 7:30.