Detroit faces an Original Six test without captain Dylan Larkin, forcing a reshuffled lineup and an NHL debut on defense as they battle a rested Rangers squad.
On Friday, the Detroit Red Wings open their 101st season as a franchise with an Original Six showdown against the New York Rangers, a matchup that figures to deliver excitement on all fronts.
While the Red Wings have been waiting to begin their season, the Rangers have already played a pair of games, falling 3-0 to the Boston Bruins on opening night Tuesday before stunning the perennial Cup contender Tampa Bay Lightning with a 5-1 rout Thursday night.
Catching New York on the second leg of a back-to-back could be a good omen for Detroit, who badly needs one after winning just one of their last nine meetings with the Rangers. Three of those nine games, dating back to the start of the 2023-24 season, totaled seven or more total goals, meaning Hockeytown could be in for a low-scoring affair to open the year.
The questions surrounding Detroit's lineup have started to clear up as puck drop nears, with top-line center Dylan Larkin reportedly set to miss at least the first two games of the season and standout defenseman Simon Edvinsson not expected to play Friday as he remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.
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Without two of their difference makers, the Red Wings will need others to step up, and they will hope newcomers like Viktor Arvidsson and Keegan Kolesar can make an impact, while Anton Johansson, a fourth-round pick by Detroit in 2022 and a preseason breakout, will make his NHL debut on the second defensive pairing after making the team out of camp.
Detroit Red Wings’ Expected Line Combinations vs New York (Friday)
DeBrincat - Copp - Raymond
Finnie - Compher - Arvidsson
Rasmussen - Kasper - Kolesar
Appleton - Danielson - Brandsegg-Nygard
Albert Johansson - Seider
Anton Johansson - Faulk
Chiarot - Sandin-Pellikka
Gibson
Tarasov
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