The Red Wings look to snap three-game skid when facing off against Blackhawks on Tuesday in preseason action.
The Detroit Red Wings will take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, looking to get back in the win column. They’re at the end of a grueling stretch of games with five in six days that began last Thursday and wraps up with this matchup against Chicago. While the Red Wings opened strong with a commanding 5-2 win over the Sabres, they’ve since stumbled, dropping three straight games.
Their 2-1 loss to the Penguins on Monday night was a deflating setback. They came out flat, giving up a goal within the first four minutes and never fully recovered. They rolled out what was rumored to be their most dangerous second line featuring Marco Kasper, Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, but the trio failed to generate any offense. To make matters worse, they were on the ice for both of Pittsburgh’s goals.
The most likely scenario for Tuesday’s lineup is the return of several top players, including captain Dylan Larkin and his winger Lucas Raymond. The duo has appeared in just one preseason game so far and hasn’t played since last Thursday. Goaltender Cam Talbot is also expected to return, having only played half a preseason game and remaining off the ice since Thursday. Veteran winger Andrew Copp, who has played two preseason games but hasn’t seen action since Saturday, could also slot in as the roster could be thin following a demanding stretch of games.
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One key storyline to watch is the emerging trends on the Detroit roster and which young players might crack the team for the first time. In a recent roster projection for The Athletic, Red Wings writer Max Bultman highlighted 20-year-old winger Emmitt Finnie as a strong candidate.
Bultman believes Finnie may have done enough to earn a spot and could even land on the top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. While Finnie hasn’t matched the production of his standout preseason debut, where he notched a goal and an assist, he’s consistently generated scoring chances.
Challenging him for a top-line role is Elmer Söderblom, who is looking to redefine his place on the team after logging bottom-line minutes last season. The 6-foot-8 winger has been given multiple opportunities to prove himself in a top-line capacity and is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday after sitting out since last Friday. If he can deliver another strong performance, he could reinsert himself into the conversation for a top-line spot.
The starting lineups are not yet known – more to come on Tuesday’s matchup.
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