The Detroit Red Wings are coming in off a shutout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. They will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, coming in off a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
Detroit Red Wings (2-1-0, 4 Points) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1-0, 4 Points)
When: Wednesday, October 18
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesar’s Arena (Detroit, MI)
TV: TNT
Scoring Leaders
What To Watch
This is a chance to take on a former team for David Perron and Jeff Petry, as they both played for the Penguins throughout their careers at one point or another. This is a rematch of the 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cups, and only three players in this game played in both cups: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malin, and Kris Letang. Since those Cups, the Penguins have been going up, winning two Stanley Cups since 2009, while the Red Wings saw their 25 straight playoff appearances snap, and they haven’t been back to the playoffs since then.
This game will also feature a return to Detroit for Alex Nedeljkovic; although he is not expected to start, you can expect a nice tribute by the Red Wings for Nedeljkovic for what he did for the Red Wings from 2021-2023. He appeared in 74 games with the Red Wings, going 25-31-11 with a .900 save percentage and a 3.35 GAA.
Red Wings vs. Penguins By The Numbers:
Red Wings Player to Watch: Andrew Copp
Copp is in his second season with the Red Wings; last season, he played in all 82 games, scoring 42 points on nine goals and 33 assists. This offseason, he mentioned he wanted to work on his offensive game and become more offensive-minded; in three games, it’s seemed that he has done just that, putting up two points on a goal and an assist to start the year.
Andrew Copp’s Line Assignments
Copp will be on the second line with Michael Rasmussen and J.T. Compher; he has been rotating, playing center and right wing on this line, splitting time with Compher. He also plays on the second power-play unit with Compher, Lucas Raymond, Daniel Sprong, and Jake Walman.
Copp’s career vs. Pittsburgh
In his career against Pittsburgh, he has played in 23 games and recorded 16 points, coming on seven goals and nine assists, and is a plus-nine. Last season, in three games against the Penguins, he had four points coming on one goal and three assists and was a plus-three.
Between the Pipes:
Detroit: Ville Husso (1-1-0, 3.57 GAA)
Husso, this season, has played in two games, dropping the first one to the Devils and picking up his first win on Saturday over the Lightning. He has stopped 44 of the 51 shots he has faced this season. Last season against Pittsburgh, Husso made two starts, going 0-1-0, giving up nine goals; in his career against the Penguins, he has played in three games, going 0-1-1 with 11 goals against 85 shots.
Pittsburgh: Tristan Jarry (1-1-0, 1.53 GAA)
Jarry has made two starts this season and has stopped 51 of the 54 shots against him to start the season. Last season against the Red Wings, he made one start, going 1-0-0, stopping 19 of 20 shots. In his career against Detroit, he has made three starts and has not lost a single game to them, stopping 85 of the 81 shots he has faced against the Red Wings.
Wrap Up
This is a tough matchup for the Red Wings as they face some big names: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson. The Penguins missed the playoffs last season, and they went out and added Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Lars Eller, and Noel Acciari to add some depth and try to get them back. If the Red Wings can come out with two points, it’ll show that this Detroit team is taking a step in the right direction.
In their last ten meetings, the Red Wings are 3-6-1 and have been outscored 49-26. Last season against the Penguins, the Red Wings won two of the three matchups, and both teams scored 13 goals each.
ITR 46: Offseason Chaos – Inside The Rink
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