The challenge of facing one of the best teams in the NHL is countered by the memory of the first measuring contest.
After a week off, the Detroit Red Wings (23-22-6) dive back into their schedule Wednesday when they host the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs scored three goals by midway through the first period when the Wings were in Denver in December, en route to a 7-3 final. Not a memory to cherish, but one that chafes.
“Last time we played them, it felt like they were shot out of a cannon every time they were coming up the ice,” coach Jeff Blashill said Tuesday. “They can play a really, really fast game.”
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Dylan Larkin left Tuesday’s practice early after getting hurt, and Blashill anticipated having an update Wednesday morning. The Wings as a whole are on the mend, with forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Carter Rowney and defenseman Gustav Lindstrom all projected to be available against the Avs.
Namestnikov scored in the Dec. 10 game, nine minutes after former Wings forward Darren Helm had made it 3-0. Before it was over, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar were among those who first pounded pucks behind Thomas Greiss and then Alex Nedeljkovic. The Avs are 36-10-4 and battling for first place in the league. They average 3.92 goals per game.
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“They’re very good on their breakouts,” Blashill said. “They are a possession-type team in terms of breaking out with possession, entering the other zone with possession. We are going to have times in our end when they are going to be rolling around and we have to be comfortable with just staying in between them and the net and not panicking in those situations.
“They have some very, very high-end players — McKinnon is one of the best players in the league, Makar has established himself as one of the best defensemen in the league, but they have lots of other guys. I’ve been a Nazem Kadri fan for a long time. He’s a very hard player to play against that can score. You just go up and down their lineup, there’s lots of guys.”
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The Wings are trying to close the distance on a wild card spot, but while they’ve been enjoying a leisurely stretch in their schedule, the Boston Bruins have opened up a 10-point lead on the Wings, and still have a game in hand. And the Avs kick off a fright stretch for the Wings, who then face the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, all teams that are jockeying for positioning inside the playoff picture.
All the Wings can do is take them one at a time, and the Avs are first up.
“They will be a great challenge for us, but that’s what we want,” Blashill said. “We want to see where we stack up against teams like this, and the only way to show what you’ve got is to go out and play against the best.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.