Red Wings vs Panthers: GDU, Lineups, Keys to the Game

Game Day Updates

Following last night’s game, Jeff Blashill announced the passing of long time team masseur “Cheeka”. Thoughts and prayers to his friends and family.

So it looks like Biega won’t be among any changes to the lineup.

Seider can’t arrive soon enough. Soderblom too, he just happens to be on the wrong end here.

The Wings still haven’t announced when they’ll be wearing theirs. Maybe in the playoffs…

Lineups

Detroit

Forwards
Filip Zadina – Dylan Larkin – Anthony Mantha
Mathias Brome – Robby Fabbri – Bobby Ryan
Frans Nielsen – Valtteri Filppula – Sam Gagner
Darren Helm – Luke Glendening – Adam Erne

Defense
Jon Merrill – Filip Hronek
Marc Staal – Troy Stecher
Patrik Nemeth – Christian Djoos

Goalies
Jonathan Bernier
Thomas Greiss

Florida

Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Huberdeau – Alexander Wennberg – Patric Hornqvist
Frank Vatrano – Eetu Luostarinen – Owen Tippett
Ryan Lomberg – Juho Lammikko – Brett Connolly

Defense
MacKenzie Weegar – Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling – Anton Stralman
Keith Yandle – Radko Gudas

Goalies
Sergei Bobrovsky
Chris Driedger

1. Come Out Strong

After a particularly bad game like that, Detroit absolutely has to come out with energy. Ideally they need to score the first goal early to shake off last night’s game and get some positive momentum going. But even if they can’t, just sending an early message that today won’t be easy for Florida is critical.

2. Let’s Go Big Guns

Yesterday the goal’s game from Bobby Ryan and a friendly bounce on a Filppula shot. For what it’s worth Fabbri had a pair of assists, and Larkin had one of his own. But the Wings need a lot more than that. They need the guys they count on to score to deliver. Between Mantha, Larkin, and even Zadina should they remain a line, need to have a outburst today. Collectively for these three, the points have been hard to come by lately. It’s time for any one of them to get hot, as Detroit desperately needs them to in order to ever score enough to win games.

3. Bernier Needs a Big, Game-Stealing Performance

Florida, not expected to be a strong team this year, is off to an 11-2-2 start for a reason. They’re making the most of what they have and plan to continue riding this early season surge. What it will likely take to beat them is a big time game from the goaltender. Enter Jonathan Bernier. What he was able to do for the majority of last season deserves heavy merit. But we haven’t quite seen that from him this year yet in his limited appearances due to injury. He’s been alright, gives the Wings a chance to win most times he’s in there, as his record shows. But he hasn’t delivered a 1st star level game yet. It’s not fair to put this on him, but with the Wings slumping in the worst way, they could use a boost from some show-stopping saves to help tilt the ice the other way.