The Detroit Red Wings are coming off a 5-4 win in overtime against the Nashville Predators on Friday night. The Boston Bruins are coming in playing the second half of a back-to-back after winnings last night’s game to the New Jersey Devils 5-2.
Detroit Red Wings (17-15-4, 38 Points) vs. Boston Bruins (21-7-6, 48 Points)
When: Sunday, December 31st
Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, MI)
TV: Bally Sports Detroit
Scoring Leaders
Detroit Red Wings
Points: Alex DeBrincat – 37
Goals: Alex DeBrincat – 17
Assists: Alex DeBrincat – 20
Boston Bruins
Points: David Pastrnak – 48
Goals: David Pastrnak – 22
Assists: David Pastrnak – 26
Expected Line Combinations
Detroit Red Wings
David Perron – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat – J.T. Compher – Patrick Kane
Christian Fischer – Andrew Copp – Michael Rasmussen
Robby Fabbri – Joe Veleno – Daniel Sprong
Jake Walman – Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry
Olli Maatta – Shayne Gostisbehere
Boston Bruins
Pavel Zacha – Morgan Geekie – David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Jake DeBrusk
Danton Heinen – Georgii Merkulov – Trent Frederic
Oskar Steen – John Beecher – Jakub Lauko
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Parker Wortherspoon – Kevin Shattenkirk
By The Numbers:
League Ranking
Detroit Red Wings
PP%: 21.7 (14)
PK%: 80.2 (14)
GF P/G: 3.56 (3)
GA P/G: 3.42 (25)
Faceoff %: 49.0 (22)
Boston Bruins
PP%: 27.9 (4)
PK%: 85.9 (3)
GF P/G: 3.15 (15)
GA P/G: 2.59 (5)
Faceoff %: 49.8 (17)
Red Wings Player to Watch: Alex DeBrincat
In his first season with the Red Wings, DeBrincat played in 36 games, scoring 37 points on 17 goals and 20 assists. He leads the team in goals, assists, and points. He has 12 points on seven goals and five assists on the power play. Over his last five games, he has nine points on two goals and seven assists and is currently on a four-game point streak.
DeBrincat’s Line Assignments
DeBrincat will play on the second line with J.T. Compher and Patrick Kane. He also will play on the first power play with Compher, Kane, Dylan Larkin, and Shayne Gostisbehere.
DeBrincat’s career vs. Boston
DeBrincat has faced the Bruins 15 times in his career and has recorded 11 points, coming on six goals and five assists. Against the Bruins this season in three games, he has three points on a goal and two assists.
Between The Pipes
Detroit: Alex Lyon (5-3-0, 2.39 GAA)
Lyon made his return to the net on Friday against Nashville and got a win in overtime as he stopped 33 of the 37 shots he faced. He is 2-3-0 in his career against the Bruins, stopping 144 of 159 shots.
Boston: Jeremy Swayman (10-2-4, 2.17 GAA)
Swayman’s last start came on Wednesday against Buffalo, and he got the win, allowing one goal on 26 shots. In his career against Detroit, he has been 4-3-0 in seven games, and this season, he is 1-1-0, giving up five goals on 51 shots.
Wrap Up
The Red Wings got a much-needed win on Friday, and despite dropping nine of their last 12, they’ve gone 2-2-0 in their last four, and even though the two wins came in overtime, it’s something to still build off of. The combination of Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat is on fire, which has ignited the offense even more so; combined in the last five games, they have combined for 18 points, with both recording nine points each. On top of the offense, the Red Wings also got Alex Lyon back, and despite him allowing four goals, he still played well, and he’ll be back in there again tonight. The Red Wings have played their best hockey against the Bruins this season, especially in the last two matchups, as they won those 5-4 and 5-2; hopefully, they can start a winning streak now and pick up another win against the Bruins before heading on their West Coast road trip next week.
In their last ten games against Boston, the Red Wings are 5-5-0 and have been outscored 35-28 in those ten games. The Red Wings this season are 2-1-0 against the Bruins, outscoring them 11-10.
ITR 26: 2 Nations Fighting – Inside The Rink
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