The Wings get another crack at building some momentum tonight when Seattle rolls into town for a 7:00 PM ET puck drop.
Detroit finally got into the win column Tuesday, knocking off Ottawa 5-3 in a game that checked a lot of boxes. The lineup chipped in top to bottom, and for long stretches the Wings looked like the better team on the ice. After that kind of night, the obvious challenge is simple: back it up.
Seattle arrives at 2-2-0, but the Kraken have been a bit of a mixed bag through four games. They’ve put up six goals in two of them, then managed only three combined in the other two. Jordan Eberle has recorded a point in all four games, while Brian McCann has started the season with a goal and four assists.
The Kraken will also begin this road trip without Ryan Lindgren, who is on the IR and expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
Detroit’s projected group looks the same in spirit as it did Tuesday: a mix of established names and younger pieces getting real runway. The projected forward lines are Arvidsson-Larkin-Raymond, Brandsegg-Nygard-Finnie-DeBrincat, Rasmussen-Copp-Kolesar, and Danielson-Mazur.
On defense, the pairings are Al. Johansson-Seider, An.
Johansson-Faulk, and Chiarot-Sandin-Pellikka, with Wallinder also listed. Gibson and Tarasov are the goalies.
Seattle’s projected lineup features McCann-Beniers-Samoskevich, McMann-Stephenson-Eberle, Kakko-Catton-Wright, and Meyers-Gaudreau-Winterton up front. The defense pairs are Dunn-Larsson, Evans-Montour, and Mahura-Fleury, with Daccord and Grubauer in goal.
There’s some context behind those early-season Seattle numbers, too. The Kraken have scored 15 goals overall, but they’ve already played Calgary twice. Against two NHL-calibre rosters, they’ve produced just three total goals.
For Detroit, the formula is pretty clear: keep controlling the puck, keep the penalties in check, and don’t give Seattle extra chances. If the Wings do that, Mr. Gibson should have a fairly quiet night.
More than anything, this is about carrying Tuesday forward. The kids have looked comfortable, the puck movement from the blue line has been a major step up, and five goals did a lot to change the mood. Now comes the important part.
Do it again.
In Other News...
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Detroit, meanwhile, made a pair of its own roster moves by activating forwards Chase Stillman and Carter Bear from the injured list and sending both to Grand Rapids. For the Red Wings, those transactions are more about keeping the pipeline moving than altering the NHL picture right away, but they underscore how quickly the standings chase can shift when rivals start getting healthier and depth pieces are being sorted out on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team always watching its goaltending pipeline, Postavas first two games have stood out even more because of how calm he has looked. The Griffins have won their last four home openers, and with Postava posting a 1.50 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage so far, there is at least a little more reason to pay attention every time he gets the crease. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Get A Tougher Canadiens Matchup Tonight
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To make room for Guhles return, Montreal recently moved Jayden Struble out of the picture in a trade with Nashville for a 2027 second-round pick. For Detroit, it means the matchup suddenly looks a little stiffer on a night when the Canadiens can roll out a more complete defense and lean on a player theyve been waiting to get back. [Read more 🡒]