Red Wings Return Home to Face Toronto After Big Win

The Detroit Red Wings look to play two good games in a row when they host the archrival Toronto Maple Leafs. The Red Wings are back to .500 on the season after last night’s 3-2 SO win in Pittsburgh.

Toronto have won two in a row and are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.

Game time tonight is 7:00 PM ET at LCA in Detroit, MI.

Player Focus: Petr Mrazek

The Detroit Red Wings drafted Petr Mrazek in the 5th round of the 2010 draft, 141st overall. Mrazek played parts of six seasons in the Red Wings organization. In 166 games with Detroit, Mrazek had a record of 72-58-20, with 13 shutouts, a 2.60 GAA, and a .912 SV%. Mrazek also played 10 games during two playoff seasons for Detroit going 4-6-0, with two shutouts, a 1.88 GAA, and a .931 SV%. In 2018, Mrazek was set to become a UFA so, prior to the trade deadline, he was traded to Philadelphia for two conditional draft choices.

In 2018, Mrazek played 17 games during the regular season for Philadelphia. He posted a 6-6-3 record, one shutout, a 3.22 GAA, and an .891 SV%. Mrazek played 31 minutes of one game during the Flyers 2018 playoff run. Mrazek became an UFA in the summer of 2018 and he signed a three year deal to play for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Mrazek played three seasons in Carolina posting a 50-32-8 record, with 10 shutouts, a 2.48 GAA, and a .911 SV%. Mrazek enjoyed three playoff seasons with Carolina playing 18 games and recording an 8-9-0 record, with two shutouts, a 2.67 GAA, and a .902 SV%. Prior to his final season in Carolina, I talked to his former teammate, Dougie Hamilton, about Mrazek, and he said that Mrazek was great a great teammate. After his third season in Carolina, Mrazek and Hamilton both became UFA’s. Hamilton signed with New Jersey and Mrazek signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This is Mrazek’s first season in Toronto. He sustained a groin injury that has limited him to five games this season. In October, Mrazek faced his former team, Detroit, and recorded the win in the Maple Leafs 5-4 victory in Toronto. Mrazek is healthy once again and is scheduled to play two of the next three games for the Maple Leafs before All-Star weekend. Mrazek will make his sixth start of the season tonight at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI.

Red Wings Notes

Detroit are currently 5th in the Atlantic Division with a 19-19-6 record
The Red Wings special teams are currently ranked 28th in the NHL, PP 15.8%, PK 77.4%
Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi lead Detroit with 20 goals and 38 points each
Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond lead the Red Wings with 23 assists each
Seider leads all Detroit defensemen in scoring with 27 points in 44 games
Bertuzzi continues to lead the Red Wings with a +13 rating
Alex Nedeljkovic is expected to start and has a 12-11-5 record, 2.89 GAA, and .912 SV% in 31 games

Detroit Projected Lineup

Forwards

Vladislav Namestnikov – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond

Robby Fabbri – Pius Suter – Tyler Bertuzzi

Filip Zadina – Michael Rasmussen – Adam Erne

Givani Smith – Joe Veleno – Sam Gagner

Defensemen

Jordan Oesterle – Moritz Seider

Marc Staal – Filip Hronek

Nick Leddy – Gustav Lindstrom

Goaltenders

Alex Nedeljkovic (starter)

Calvin Pickard

Not in lineup

Riley Barber (lower body), Carter Rowney (undisclosed), Thomas Greiss (COVID-19), Danny DeKeyser (healthy)

Maple Leafs Notes

Toronto are currently 3rd in the Atlantic Division with a 26-10-3 record
The Maple Leafs special teams are currently ranked 1st in the NHL, PP 30.6%, PK 84.3%
Auston Matthews leads Toronto with 25 goals and 43 points in 36 games
Morgan Rielly leads the Maple Leafs with 29 assists in 39 games
Alexander Kerfoot leads Toronto with a +17 rating
Former Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek is expected to start and has a 3-2-0 record, 3.03 GAA, and .899 SV% in 5 games