The Dylan Larkin led Detroit Red Wings travel to Vancouver

The Vancouver Canucks are hovering just a game over .500. The Detroit Red Wings played well enough to win in Calgary Friday night but failed to keep a one-goal lead on numerous occasions.

The Detroit Red Wings look to put another blown lead Friday night behind and build upon the sustained offensive zone effort they were able to maintain throughout the hockey game. Dylan Larkin played likely his best game of the season in Calgary.

The effort came with no surprise; it is almost as though Jeff Blashill quietly motivated his young star before the game. Jeff Blashill was speaking highly of Larkin to the media before the road game in Calgary. He mentioned Larkin drives the bus for this team. Paraphrasing here but he said Larkin isn’t McDavid or Matthews, but he’s a bus driver.

It wasn’t precisely a vicious remark towards Larkin, but maybe he picked up on what Jeff Blashill was saying. I think Jeff Blashill. It was a calculated comment and a creative way to motivate his star centerman. Larkin pushed his chips all in with a phenomenal effort in the loss.

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He was all over the ice very noticeable every single shift. Flames head coach and former Detroit Red Wings assistant under Mike Babcock, Bill Peters mentioned: “We didn’t have an answer for him.”

Larkin may find himself opposite you Canucks phenom Elias Pettersson this afternoon, he’s been sidelined with a knee injury since the beginning of January but could return the Vancouver lineup today.

The Canucks have suffered in the absence of Pettersson, winning merely 2 out of their last 6 games. Bo Horvat is slumping of late for VanCity he hasn’t found the back of the net since December. 20th. The return of Elias should help elevate the players around him.

Saturday, head coach Jeff Blashill mentioned Michael Rasmussen had been cleared to play but said he likely wouldn’t be in the lineup today. I expect him to get a skate in with the team and play Tuesday night in Edmonton.

Blashill mentioned Filip Hronek would likely draw into the lineup this afternoon. Remember the reasoning behind scratching him the past two games? It was because he was 5th in line on the PK, and 4th on the PP. Kronwall and Green are both ahead of him on the PP & PK. Cholowski is a staple on the PP, and Ericsson & Jensen are both ahead of him on the PK.

In Calgary, the Detroit Red Wings gave up 3 power-play goals, and as a form of insult to injury, they also allowed a short-handed marker. The lack of success on special teams could warrant a lineup change and allow yet another opportunity for Hronek.

If Hronek is in that means someone is out. If the Wings elect to go with 11 forwards, I expect it to be Christoffer Ehn, although he was hard on the body, and was a pest in on the forecheck, playing a solid fourth line type game on Friday. If a defender comes out and no injury has taken place, it’s gotta be Ericsson right? He’s only there as a penalty killer, and they apparently were unable to get the job done on Friday.

Special teams need to be much better today. The power play needs to dump and chase if they are finding it difficult to enter the offensive zone. The Wings need to limit neutral zone turnovers and get set up in Vancouver’s’ zone. The PK needs to be MUCH better today.

Next. Filip Hronek having a better second stint. dark

Game Information:

Detroit Red Wings 18-24-7 vs. Vancouver Canucks 22-21-6
Time: 4:00 EST
Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
TV: Fox Sports Detroit, SN Pacific, Fox Sports Go, NHL.TV, ESPN+
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket
Oddshark Odds fav: Canucks: -140
Last Ten Meetings- Wings- 7-2-0-1

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