Detroit Red Wings (2-0-0) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (2-0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, exhibition game.
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit Plus.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) (Red Wings radio affiliates).
CARLOS MONARREZ: Red Wings exhibit plenty of offense and maybe some hope for loud home crowd
PRESEASON HOME OPENER: Pius Suter looks like he’ll make an impact
Game notes: The Wings have fallen behind early in both of their exhibition victories this week, though they put up three goals in regulation against Chicago goalie Kevin Lankinen and six against Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen — that’s a lot of K’s to type!
The Wings’ roster will be mostly on the young side, with 2020 first-rounder Lucas Raymond suiting up on offense and 2019 first-rounder Moritz Seider doing the same on defense. But the big name in the lineup is captain Dylan Larkin, who is in the lineup for the first time since a crosscheck in Dallas ended his 2020-21 season in April.
Which Blue Jackets will make the trip to Detroit? It’s tough to say, though J-F Berube could start in net, rather than Elvis Merzlikins or Joonas Koorpisalo. One Blue Jacket who won’t be making the trip: Forward Zac Rinaldo, who signed a two-way deal as a free agent in the offseason, but refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The Blue Jackets placed him on waivers — which he cleared — and have assigned him to their AHL squad in Cleveland, though they won’t let him play there, either.
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Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford.