Everything you need to know ahead of tonight's game between the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena
Tonight, the Detroit Red Wings (14-7-3) will host the San Jose Sharks (7-17-2) at Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit. Here's everything you need to know ahead of tonight's game.
Jan 24, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Joe Veleno (90) skates in on San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer (47) in the second period at Little Caesars Arena. Patrick Kane to Make Season Debut
The obvious headline story entering tonight's game is Patrick Kane's Red Wing debut.
Kane's signing with the Red Wings we've already covered extensively at THN Detroit:
After this morning's skate, when asked what is realistic for tonight's game, Kane said, "I try not to think too much about expectations"
"You try to do the best you can in rehab," he continued. "For a while, [I was] skating by myself and then you're doing one-on-one and three-on-three and five-on-five, so you kinda build yourself up. Unfortunately, we haven't had a lot of practice time with the way the schedule is...For now, I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself."
Derek Lalonde offered a similar message, responding to a question this morning about his expectations for Kane's debut by saying, "Hopefully [he] just plays with some confidence...Had a little chat with him yesterday. He's anxious, which you can just imagine."
Kane himself acknowledged that—despite having played in (and won) three Stanley Cup Finals and an Olympic Gold Medal Game—there will be a sense of "butterflies" in his chest tonight. When asked about that possibility, he said, "Yeah of course. I remember last year when I went to New York, the first game there, it's a change of scenery, it's an energetic crowd, and people are there to see you perform. You want to give the fans good vibes and also show up for your teammates."
As far as Kane's workload is concerned, Lalonde doubled down on his stated plan from yesterday—an approximate minute restriction and a willingness to adapt that strategy on the fly as necessary. "We have a minute mark we'll shoot for just to put him at east, but if he's rolling, maybe he does get in that 16, 17, 18 minute range," the second-year coach said. "We'll communicate throughout."
Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot—now in the midst of his 11th NHL season—can testify to Kane's unique offensive gifts. Chiarot's NHL debut—back on November 2nd, 2013—came against Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks, then reigning Cup champions and at or near the height of their dynastic powers. In that performance, Chiarot was a -3 in 10:47 in a 5-1 Blackhawks win at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
After today's skate, he described Kane as "one of the best players in the league for my whole time playing in the league" to The Hockey News. Still, Chiarot pointed out that it's worth moderating expectations as the 35-year-old winger re-acclimates to the NHL game.
"People need to remember he hasn't played hockey in six months," Chiarot told The Hockey News. "That's a long time for anybody, even someone as good as him. So I think as he gets going here and gets into the flow of things, I think you'll see more and more of the Patrick Kane that everyone knows."
Lines, Injuries, and Goalies
With Kane in the fold, here's how Detroit lined up at this morning's skate:
Robby Fabbri-Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat-Joe Veleno-Patrick Kane
Michael Rasmussen-Andrew Copp-David Perron
Klim Kostin-Christian Fischer-Daniel Sprong
Jake Walman-Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot-Jeff Petry
Shayne Gostisbehere-Justin Holl
(Olli Maatta rotated in as an extra defenseman)
J.T. Compher did not take part in the morning's skate, and he won't be available tonight either. Lalonde referred to the centerman as "nicked up" in connection with the Red Wings' busy schedule of late and said that Compher is "day-to-day" moving forward.
Kane, meanwhile, practiced with DeBrincat and Veleno Monday, so it is no surprise to see him set to join those two this evening. Still, per Lalonde's disclaimer, don't expect to see Kane taking a 100% regular shift tonight, as Detroit eases him back in.
Finally, Ville Husso will start in goal for the Red Wings.
Sharks and Zadina Arrive in Detroit in High-Scoring Form
It has not been an easy season in San Jose.
The Sharks began the year with 10 consecutive losses—the ninth 10-1 to Vancouver, the tenth 10-2 to Pittsburgh. As a result, they remain in the Pacific Division's cellar, but San Jose arrives in Detroit on something of a hot streak.
The Sharks have won four of their last six games, and they've scored five, five, and six goals in their last three. It's not as though we're talking about a Cup contender or even a serious playoff threat, but for a team that appeared utterly moribund to open the year, there have at least been signs of life.
Derek Lalonde certainly thinks so, saying this morning that "They may be the most tenacious forecheck team I've seen in scouting". "With a team like that, they have a looseness about them in a positive way—go, go, go," he added. "They've become dangerous. They're scoring a ton of goals of late."
And, of course, San Jose coming to Detroit means the return of Filip Zadina to Hockeytown. Zadina—selected sixth overall by the Red Wings at the 2018 Draft—could never quite live up to the expectations that accompanied his draft slot, nor shake the fact that he was chosen one pick ahead of Quinn Hughes.
In 190 games with Detroit over five seasons, Zadina amassed 28 goals and 40 assists, averaging 14:53 of ice time over that span. Last summer, Zadina asked out of the three-year deal he'd signed with the Red Wings in August 2022, seeking a fresh opportunity and knowing he couldn't find that chance with the anchor of a multi-year deal around his neck. Steve Yzerman obliged, the contract was mutually terminated, and Zadina signed a one-year $1.1 million deal with San Jose.
Thus far, life with the Sharks doesn't look much different than that in Detroit for Zadina. In 21 games, he has three goals (equal to last year's total in 30 games) and two assists. He's averaging 13:49 of ice time a night and has generally played a bottom six role.
For more on where and how Zadina's tenure with the Red Wings went off the rails, here's a piece I wrote on the subject over the summer:
Where to Watch
Tonight's game (a 7:00 PM start) will be back on Bally Sports Detroit. For local cord-cutters, that means it will also be available on BSD+, while out-of-market fans can find the game on ESPN+ or Hulu.