On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings will try to win back-to-back games for the first time in two weeks as they head out on a long six-game road trip, beginning in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. Detroit has taken only five of its last 14 games and could use a strong start to build momentum on the road.

They will have a reasonable opportunity to do that against a Columbus team that has also been slumping, with just five wins in its last 15 games. Both clubs are searching for a much-needed boost, which sets up a more meaningful matchup than expected for their 117th meeting.

Lineup Storylines

Detroit finally received scoring support from deeper in the lineup during Tuesday’s win over Boston, although the defense continued to struggle and allowed four goals. Ben Chiarot has enjoyed an unexpected surge with three goals and an assist in his last six games, while Moritz Seider has also shown increased offensive impact with three points against Boston and 13 points in his last 11 outings. Their production has been timely, but team defense remains a problem, and Todd McLellan has yet to find a lasting solution.

Over their last seven games, the Red Wings have surrendered a league-high 30 goals. Albert Johansson has been on the ice for 13 of those goals against, and Travis Hamonic has been on the ice for nine. Several forwards have struggled defensively as well, with Patrick Kane on the ice for a team-leading 11 even-strength goals against and Alex DeBrincat on the ice for ten. Detroit can score, but too often not at a rate that can erase the four or five goals they continue to give up. The offense has not been the issue, producing 20 goals in their last six games, which ranks eighth in the league during that span.

The hope is that Detroit can establish a more effective defensive approach as they face a Columbus team that has averaged only 2.53 goals per game over its 15-game slump. The Red Wings would gladly continue that trend with a strong effort on Thursday.

Despite the Blue Jackets' struggles, former Michigan Wolverines are leading the charge. Defenseman Zach Werenski is averaging more than a point per game with 16 over the last 15 contests, and center Adam Fantilli has rediscovered his scoring touch with seven goals and five assists in that same stretch. Both players scored in their previous meeting with Detroit, a 4-3 overtime win for the Red Wings, and will again be key focuses for the lineup.

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Detroit's AHL Griffins Extend Historic Start, 17 Wins in First 19 Games The Griffins extended their historic start with a 4-1 win over the Monsters, led by Leonard, Brandsegg-Nygard, and Shine.

Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)

DET ML (-102) | CBJ ML (-118)

DET +1.5 (-238) | CBJ -1.5 (+195)

O/U 6.5 Goals

The Red Wings took down the Jackets earlier this season and extended their recent run of dominance in this matchup with now seven wins over their last ten contests versus Columbus. These two normally battle each other to high-scoring affairs with seven or more goals in six straight matchups and 12 of their last 15 matchups. 

To keep up the pace, the Red Wings will almost certainly rely on one of their big three offensive weapons in Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat. Raymond has the strongest numbers in this matchup as he and Larkin are tied for the team lead in road points with 12 in 11 games, and Raymond is coming off a goal in Detroit’s last meeting with Columbus. He also has eight goals and six assists for 14 points in his last 13 games against the Blue Jackets.

Columbus will look to lean on the red-hot play of defenseman Zach Werenski, who has been driving the offense from the blue line with five goals and ten assists for 15 points in the team’s last ten games. He has also dominated this matchup, producing four goals and 11 assists for 15 points over his last eight games against Detroit, including five multi-point performances in their last seven meetings.

Goalie Matchup

Detroit: Cam Talbot (Season: 9-4-1 record, 2.88 GAA, .886 SV% | VS CBJ: 8-6-1 record, 3.01 GAA, .893 in 16 games)

Columbus: Jet Greaves (Season: 7-4-5 record, 2.81 GAA, .901 SV% | VS DET: 0-0-1 record, 3.88 GAA, .879 SV% in one game)

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