Preview: Red Wings return home to face powerful New York Rangers

After a disasterous game on Sunday, the Red Wings return home to face the powerful New York Rangers. The Rangers are on a three-game win streak after defeating Pittsburgh 3-2 last night and are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.

Game time is 7:30 PM ET at LCA in Detroit, MI.

Player Profile: Ryan Strome

Ryan Strome is an impending UFA center who currently plays for the New York Rangers. Strome played his junior for the Niagara Ice Dogs and he was a student at the school I was teaching at prior to him being drafted 5th overall by the New York Islanders.

Strome currently serves as an alternate captain with the Rangers. His leadership and playmaking abilities will make him one of this summer’s top free agents. Strome will be 29 in July and would be an excellent addition down the middle for the Red Wings.

This season, Strome has played 62 games and he has scored 15 goals, 30 assists, 45 points, and a +5 rating. Currently in his 9th NHL season, Strome has scored 124 goals, 224 assists, 348 points, and a +30 rating in 609 games.

Strome is currently in the second season of his two-year deal that has a cap hit of $4M annually.

Red Wings Notes

Detroit are currently 5th in the Atlantic Division with a 26-32-8 record
The Red Wings are currently 27th in PP (17.4%) and 32nd in PK (72.4%)
Dylan Larkin leads Detroit with 28 goals and 62 points in 61 games
Moritz Seider leads the Red Wings with 37 assists in 66 games
Seider continues to lead all Detroit defensemen in scoring with 42 points
Lucas Raymond remains 2nd in NHL rookie scoring with 49 points in 66 games
Defenseman Marc Staal continues to lead the Red Wings with a +9 rating
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is expected to start and has a 17-20-7 record, 3.26 GAA, and a .901 SV% and two SO in 49 games
Goaltender Victor Brattstrom was recalled under emergency conditions yesterday

Detroit Projected Lineup

Forwards

Tyler Bertuzzi – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond

Jakub Vrana – Joe Veleno – Sam Gagner

Adam Erne – Pius Suter – Oskar Sundqvist

Taro Hirose – Michael Rasmussen – Filip Zadina

Defensemen

Jordan Oesterle – Moritz Seider

Marc Staal – Filip Hronek

Jake Walman – Gustav Lindstrom

Goaltenders

Alex Nedeljkovic (starter)

Victor Brattstrom

Scratched: Olli Juolevi

Injured: Robby Fabbri (lower body), Carter Rowney (lower body), Mitchell Stephens (lower body), Danny DeKeyser (upper body), (undisclosed), Thomas Greiss (upper body), Calvin Pickard (undisclosed), Givani Smith (undisclosed)

Rangers Notes

New York are currently 4th in the NHL Standings with a 43-19-5 record
The Rangers special teams are currently 2nd in PP (26.8%) and 11th in PK (81.2%)
Artemi Panarin leads New York with 60 assists and 77 points in 62 games
Chris Kreider leads the Rangers with 45 goals in 67 games
Adam Fox leads all New York defensemen in scoring with 65 points in 64 games
Center Mika Zibanejad leads all Rangers players with a +24 rating
Alexandar Georgiev is expected to start and has a 10-9-2 record, 3.08 GAA, a .894 SV% and one SO in 27 games