Puck Drop: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI
TV: ESPN+/Hulu
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket
Canes’ SBNation Site: Canes Country
Well, here we are. The last morning skate for Winging It In Motown, version 1.
It’s bittersweet for all of us here. There are some badass plans for WIIM 2.0, but it’s tough to bid farewell to a place a lot of us have considered a haven. I was a long-time lurker who discovered WIIM via the old LGW forums, and — even though it only lasted six months — I was fortunate enough to become a contributor this season. It’s been fun as hell getting to interact with all of you.
Now with all the schmaltz out of the way, let’s do what we do best… talk hockey.
The Red Wings are coming off what may have been their most eventful win in a while, a 7-4 win over the Penguins that included multiple blown leads, a v angry Derek Lalonde, and a David Perron hat trick. That win didn’t quite spoil the Penguins playoff hopes (thanks to the mid AF rest of the Eastern Wildcard race,) but it did make their road to the playoffs a little a more bumpy, which is always a great thing to witness as a Wings fan.
Next up tonight are the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes have already locked up a spot in the postseason, but a rough run of recent play has thrust them into a tight battle for positioning in the Atlantic. They’re in first at the moment, but only 3 points ahead of the Devils, and only 5 ahead of the team that might be the NHL’s hottest at the moment, the New York Rangers.
So you can rest assured that the Canes will be coming to LCA tonight motivated with plenty to play for. For the Wings, that means another opportunity to play spoiler. It appears Alex Nedeljkovic will also get another chance to start in goal, which means a revenge-game opportunity. And for young players like Berggren and Edvinsson (who’s expected to return,) it’s a chance to continue growing by playing in a competitive game against a top team late in the season. Like I said before the Pens game, the Wings still have plenty to play for for the rest of the season, even if the playoffs are unlikely.