Roster movement, Reimer's Red Wing debut, scouting the Blue Jackets, and everything else you need to know ahead of tonight's tilt between Detroit and Columbus
This evening, the Detroit Red Wings will return to action for the season's second road game, taking on the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Here's what you need to know ahead of the 7:00 PM tilt.
Roster Movement and Line-Up
-Yesterday afternoon, the Red Wings returned Zach Aston-Reese (who had been called up a day prior) to Grand Rapids and recalled Austin Czarnik from the Griffins. Both moves corresponded to Robby Fabbri winding up "day to day" after sustaining an injury in New Jersey during the season-opening loss to the Devils.
-After using 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Saturday night's win over the Lightning, it appears the Red Wings will return to a more traditional 12 and six arrangement tonight in Columbus.
Derek Lalonde revealed after the morning skate that Czarnik, fresh off a pair of goals over the weekend for the Griffins, would slot into the line-up tonight, with Jeff Petry on the outside looking in.
"We're gonna use Czarnik centering Fisch and Kostin, and then Jeff Petry is the odd D man out tonight," Lalonde said. "Probably similar to Olli, don't like [scratching Petry], but it's a good luxury to have with our seven D. I'm sure he'll be right back in on Wednesday, but you never know."
"Someone like Jeff, who's obviously a little bit older in his career, hopefully can take this as a little rest, and when he's back in, he's playing at a high level again," he added of Petry. "He's given us two good games so far."
-Lalonde also announced that James Reimer would make his regular season debut for the Red Wings, starting tonight's game.
When asked what he was looking for out of the veteran goaltender, Lalonde said that he hoped Reimer could continue to deliver the sound showings he provided throughout training camp and the preseason.
"What we got out of camp—his performance—no easy goals against," the head coach said. "He looked sharp. Add in a couple big saves. Hopefully he can roll over from where he was in the exhibition. Just give us a chance when he's in there."
-Sean Shapiro, author of the Substack newsletter Shap Shots and writer for Elite Prospects, provided a preview of the Red Wings lines from this morning's skate:
Unsurprisingly, the top line of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond will stick together after their strong showing Saturday night against Tampa.
Perhaps more noteworthy is the coming together of J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp on the second line. Those two had been centering their own lines in the first two games of the year, but Lalonde and Steve Yzerman have touted their versatility in playing center or wing, so it shouldn't come as a major surprise to see that in action.
Compher and Copp joining forces means a promotion for Joe Veleno from the fourth line to the third. Lalonde has been effusive in his praise for Veleno throughout the preseason and into the early phases of the regular season, so again, it seems appropriate that he has earned a greater role.
-Finally, on the injury front, though he participated in the morning skate, Robby Fabbri remains unavailable for tonight's game. "He's close," said Lalonde. "We're hoping for Wednesday, still in that day-to-day window."
That Detroit called up Czarnik (as opposed to Jonatan Berggren) reinforces the idea that the Red Wings don't expect to be missing Fabbri for much longer.
Scouting the Blue Jackets
-Pascal Vincent's Blue Jackets, like the Red Wings, are off to a 1-1-0 start to their '23-24 campaign. Columbus fell 4-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers in their season opener, before rebounding for a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers Saturday night. Captain Boone Jenner has led the way offensively for the Jackets thus far, with a team-leading four points (a goal and three assists) through those two games.
-"We can't give them easy offense," said Lalonde after the morning skate, when asked about the keys for his team this evening. "Our last time we played Columbus last year, [Johnny] Gaudreau and [Patrik] Laine combined had their fingerprints over four quick goals against us, and it could've literally been six or seven. And that was just us being a little soft...not being hard to play against."
Gaudreau and Laine are undeniably the offensive focal points for the Blue Jackets—both of them established high-end players with complementary skillsets. Laine is renowned for his blistering shot, while Gaudreau has established a reputation as among the league's best puck handlers and playmakers.
As Lalonde alluded to, Laine feasted in the team's most recent match-up—depositing a hat trick in a 4-3 Blue Jacket win back in January.
-In addition to those established stars, Columbus has an intriguing stable of prospects in the process of getting their NHL sea legs. Leading that charge is Adam Fantilli, the third overall pick in the 2023 Draft, who introduced himself to Red Wing fans with his dominant performance at the Prospects Tournament in Traverse City.
Fantilli is joined by David Jiricek (the sixth overall pick in 2022), Cole Silinger (12th overall in 2021), and Kent Johnson (fifth overall in 2020) in providing Blue Jacket fans with reason to believe that the future is bright in Columbus.
-Spencer Martin is expected to get the start in net for the Blue Jackets this evening, with regular starter Elvis Merzlikins continuing to battle a stomach bug that forced him out of Columbus' bout with the Rangers after two periods.
Martin made 15 saves on 17 shots against New Yorker in relief of Merzlikins, his first regular season appearance as a Blue Jacket. In 29 games a year ago with the Vancouver Canucks, the 28-year-old backstop registered an .871 save percentage and 3.99 goals against average.
-The Jackets provided a full look at their projected line-up for the evening on Twitter this morning:
Where to Watch
The game will be broadcast by Bally Sports Detroit broadcast, with Red Wing fans in the familiar hands of Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond. Within the market, the game will be available on Bally Sports Detroit on television and the Bally Sports+ app for cord-cutters. Out of market, the game will be available through ESPN+.