Everything you need to know ahead of tonight's Red Wings-Ducks showdown in Anaheim
Tonight, the Detroit Red Wings will look to complete a perfect swing through California when they take on the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center. The Red Wings knocked off the Sharks in San Jose Tuesday, then headed south to take down the Kings in Los Angeles Thursday, and now will complete their west coast swing in Orange County against the Ducks.
To defenseman Jake Walman, the trip has seen Detroit rise to the challenge of raising its collective game at a pivotal juncture of the season. "Pinned this trip as an important one for us to get back on the tracks, and we're doing a pretty good job of it," Walman said yesterday.
"It's nice to feel good about game again," added Alex DeBrincat. "It's not perfect, but we've had a lot more bright spots the past couple games than we did throughout the month of December. It's been good so far in the new year."
When asked what those bright spots are, the winger said, "We're just focusing on getting back on the forecheck. I think that's what made us so hard to play against earlier in the year, and our forecheck is pretty good when we do it right. We'll score goals if we do well on the forecheck and work away from the puck."
The Red Wings will look to keep that good forechecking feeling going tonight in Anaheim.
Copp Expected to Be Available; 11-7 a Possibility; Lyon to Start Again
After missing Thursday's game in LA, Andrew Copp is expected to be available tonight for Detroit, per Derek Lalonde after yesterday's practice. Even if Copp is able to go (as expected), Lalonde didn't rule out the possibility of sticking with a lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen (as he deployed against the Kings).
It's been a semi-regular tactic from the Red Wings this season, and Lalonde has mentioned on more than one occasion that he finds it especially useful on the road, because of the way it complicates match-ups for the opposition.
Meanwhile, also per Lalonde, Alex Lyon is expected to make his fifth straight start in tonight's game, his longest run of consecutive starts as a Red Wing.
"We're getting some practice time, we're getting healthy, I think this is hopefully a formula of building it correctly," said Lalonde. "This is important, and we're getting back to our game, and we need it."
Flowers for All-Star DeBrincat
Earlier this week, DeBrincat was named Detroit's representative for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. Brought in over the summer to provide an offensive spark, DeBrincat leads the Red Wings in goals (17) and assists (21).
After yesterday's practice, Lalonde lauded DeBrincat for providing "exactly" what Detroit brass hoped he might when the organization traded for and extended him over the summer. The coach praised DeBrincat's productivity, describing him as a "go-to guy in a lot of situations" and "very, very valuable player for us."
When asked after yesterday's practice to reflect on the first half of his first season in Detroit, DeBrincat said, "It's been fun. We have a great group of guys. We've been through some ups and downs, but it's only gonna make us better in the long run."
Carefree Ducks Not to Be Overlooked
The Anaheim Ducks are not having a good season.
They are 13-24-1, which puts them seventh in the Pacific Division. They have lost four straight games and six of their last seven. They are fourth to last in the NHL in scoring at 2.47 goals-per-game.
However, the Ducks did find a way to sting Detroit a few weeks ago at Little Caesars Arena, pouncing on the Red Wings' combination of poor goaltending and far too hospitable defending.
Lalonde pointed out that, as was the case against San Jose, there can be something challenging about playing "not a careless team a carefree team." "They just go, go, go," he said, and that can prove tricky to counter, particularly when young talents like Trevor Zegras, Leo Carlsson, and Mason McTavish are leading that frenzy.
"They're gonna be heavy," Lalonde added. " Sometimes heavy teams are a very uncomfortable matchup for the group. We've gotta get out of our comfort zone and push back a little bit."
Heavy teams like Winnipeg, Carolina, or Philadelphia have given the Red Wings trouble this year, so, as Lalonde noted, this evening's game will provide an opportunity to buck that trend.
When asked what he felt had to go differently to get a win against the Ducks this go round, Walman responded, "Just being a little more emotionally invested. Sometimes we find ways to get off our game, but putting together a full 60, kinda similar to the first two games of the trip."
Where to Watch
Tonight's game (an 8 PM Eastern, 5 local start) will be on Bally Sports Detroit Extra and the BSD+ app. For out-of-market fans, it will be on Hulu and ESPN+.
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