Preview: Red Wings travel for short road trip in Pittsburgh

After a tough home game yesterday, the Red Wings will travel for a one game road trip to Pittsburgh this evening.  The Penguins are on a modest one game losing streak and are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games.

Game time is 5:00 PM ET at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.

Player Profile: Alex Nedeljkovic

On Saturday afternoon, Alex Nedeljkovic played outstanding against the two-time Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.  Nedeljkovic was 34/36 in save opportunities and was the Red Wings Star of the Game.

Nedeljkovic started the year outstanding, but has been inconsistent for most of the second half of the season.  In 48 games, Nedeljkovic has a 17-19-7 record with a 3.15 GAA and a .905 SV%.

Nedeljkovic is currently in the first year of a two-year deal that he signed after being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes last summer.  The deal pays Nedeljkovic $3M annually.  Nedeljkovic will be an UFA at the end of the 2022-2023 season.

Red Wings Notes

• Detroit are currently 5th in the Atlantic Division with a 26-31-7 record
• The Red Wings are currently 27th in PP (17.3%) and 31st in PK (73.1%)
• Dylan Larkin leads Detroit with 27 goals and 61 points in 60 games
• Moritz Seider leads the Red Wings with 37 assists in 65 games
• Seider leads all Detroit defensemen in scoring with 42 points
• Lucas Raymond remains 2nd in NHL rookie scoring with 48 points in 65 games
• Defenseman Marc Staal continues to lead the Red Wings with a +9 rating
• Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is expected to start and has a 17-19-7 record, 3.15 GAA, and a .905 SV% and two SO in 48 games

Detroit Projected Lineup

Forwards

Tyler Bertuzzi – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond

Jakub Vrana – Joe Veleno – Sam Gagner

Adam Erne – Pius Suter – Oskar Sundqvist

Taro Hirose – Michael Rasmussen – Filip Zadina

Defensemen

Jordan Oesterle – Moritz Seider

Olli Juolevi – Filip Hronek

Jake Walman – Gustav Lindstrom

Goaltenders

Alex Nedeljkovic (starter)

Calvin Pickard

Scratched: Givani Smith, Chase Pearson

Injured: Robby Fabbri (lower body), Carter Rowney (lower body), Mitchell Stephens (lower body), Danny DeKeyser (upper body),  (undisclosed), Thomas Greiss (upper body), Marc Staal (undisclosed)

Penguins Notes

• Pittsburgh are currently 2nd in the Metropolitan Division with a 39-17-10record
• The Penguins special teams are currently 15th in PP (21.2%) and 2nd in PK (86.5%)
• Sidney Crosby leads Pittsburgh with 66 points in 54 games
• Jake Guentzel leads the Penguins with 31 goals in 60 games
• Kris Letang leads all Pittsburgh players with 46 assists in 62 games
• Letang also leads all Penguins defensemen in scoring with 53 points
• Defenseman Brian Dumoulin leads all Pittsburgh players with a +18 rating
• Tristan Jarry is expected to start and has a 32-13-6 record, 2.32 GAA, a .921 SV% and four SO in 51 games

Pittsburgh Projected Lineup

Forwards

Jake Guentzel – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Rickard Rakell – Jeff Carter – Kasperi Kapanen

Danton Heinen – Teddy Blueger – Evan Rodrigues

Radim Zohorna – Brian Boyle – Kasper Bjorkqvist

Defensemen

Brian Dumoulin – Kris Letang

Mike Matheson – John Marino

Marcus Pettersson – Mark Friedman

Goaltenders

Tristan Jarry (starting)

Casey DeSmith

Scratched: Chad Ruhwedel

Injured: Evgeni Malkin (illness), Jason Zucker (core muscle), Brock McGinn (upper body)