The Detroit Red Wings have lost ten of their last 15 games and will look for a bounce back when returning home to take on the Bruins.
On Tuesday, the Detroit Red Wings renew their Original Six rivalry with the Boston Bruins in the second half of their home-and-home series, after Boston edged out a shootout win in the opener. The loss pushed Detroit’s slump to 5-8-2 over its last 15 games, and the Wings will try to reverse course, halt a two-game home skid, and reclaim home-ice momentum.
Boston, meanwhile, aims to recapture the strong form it showed earlier in the season after a 4-5-0 stretch over its past nine outings. With both teams looking to get back on track and with the intensity of their first meeting still fresh, we can expect another hard-hitting, physical matchup seems likely.
Lineup Storylines
The Red Wings are searching for a spark anywhere they can find one in the lineup, and they are finally getting some unexpected production from the bottom group thanks to a recent surge by former ninth-overall pick Michael Rasmussen.
The 26-year-old forward has settled in as more of a depth contributor than initially projected, typically providing around 30 points per season. His recent burst of offense, featuring two goals and an assist over his last two games, has been a welcome surprise and could set him up for a career year if he can maintain this pace and elevate his overall output.
Rasmussen is still expected to remain in the lower part of the lineup on a unit with another streaky Red Wings forward, J. T. Compher, who has recorded a goal and two assists across his last three games.
The two should give Detroit an intriguing look in the bottom six, while Andrew Copp continues to search for any sort of momentum this season. Copp has only one goal, an empty-netter, along with eight assists for nine points in 26 games. He will move up to the second line in hopes of benefiting from the offensive spark provided by the dynamic pairing of Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane.
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Boston will continue to lean on their hottest player this season, Morgan Geekie, who is tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead in goals with 20. Geekie will try to keep that pace going without star winger David Pastrnak, who has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury.
The Bruins may also need a standout performance from goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who is quietly putting together a Vezina-caliber campaign. The 27-year-old Alaska native leads the league in key underlying metrics such as goals saved above expected with 19.4, putting him well ahead of second-place Logan Thompson at 16.8 this season. He also ranks first in wins above replacement at 3.23, highlighting just how vital he has been to Boston’s success.
Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
DET ML (-189) | BOS ML (+154)
DET -1.5 (+125) | BOS +1.5 (-154)
O/U 6.0 Goals
The Red Wings have struggled against the Bruins recently, losing four of their last five meetings, including their most recent game on Saturday. These teams typically play tight, defensive contests, and four straight matchups have finished with five goals or fewer.
Detroit is in urgent need of a rebound performance to break out of its current slump, and the player most likely to push them forward is veteran Patrick Kane. He has been generating chances but is stuck in an eight-game goal drought. Even so, the 37-year-old winger has remained productive with five assists in his last five games, and that playmaking suggests he is overdue for a goal.
It could come off a power-play setup from the red-hot Lucas Raymond, who has dominated Boston with points in seven straight games, including six goals and three assists. Both Kane and Raymond will need to produce early because goaltender Jeremy Swayman usually makes things difficult for Detroit. Although he has a solid track record in this matchup, he is not unbeatable and holds a 7-4-0 record against the Red Wings.
On the Boston side, Morgan Geekie has scored three goals in his last two games against Detroit, although he previously struggled in this matchup with no points in his prior 16 meetings. Bruins center Pavel Zacha is another player Detroit will need to watch closely. He has quietly been effective against the Red Wings with three goals and four assists in his last nine games against them.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: Cam Talbot (Season: 9-4-1 record, 2.88 GAA, .887 SV% | VS BOS: 9-6-1 record, 2.56 GAA, .918 SV% in 16 games)
Boston: Jeremy Swayman (Season: 11-6-0 record, 2.62 GAA, .915 SV% | VS DET: 7-4-0 record, 2.20 GAA, .911 SV% in 11 games)
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