Scouting the Islanders, Debriefing the Bruins, and everything else you need to know ahead of tonight's Red Wings-Isles showdown on Long Island
The Detroit Red Wings will look to return to their winning ways tonight on Long Island, taking on the New York Islanders at 7:30 from UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Here's a quick round-up on the state of the two teams heading into tonight's contest:
Mar 4, 2023; Elmont, New York, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond (23) shoots past New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) for a shot on goal attempt in the third period at UBS Arena. Scouting the Islanders
-Unlike Detroit, the Islanders skate into tonight's game with some momentum on their side, having won two straight.
New York knocked off the Ottawa Senators 3-2 at home Thursday, before traveling to Columbus and dispensing with the Blue Jackets 2-0 on Saturday. The latter contest marked the team's first road victory of the young season.
-Though they rank just 25th in goals-per-game (2.57), the Islanders are off to a 4-2-1 start to the '23-24 campaign. A central part of that formula is goaltending.
Starter Ilya Sorokin has three wins, a .915 save percentage, and 2.80 goals against average in five starts, and back-up Semyon Varlamov has also been reliable—posting a .961 SV% and 1.51 GA in two starts. Per THN's Stefen Rosner, Sorokin will get the nod tonight against the Red Wings.
-Veteran winger Kyle Palmieri has led the way offensively, tied for the team lead in goals (three) and points (seven).
Meanwhile, last year's marquee addition at the trade deadline—Bo Horvat—has three goals of his own, while also chipping in a pair of assists.
As THN's Rachel Doerrie noted this morning on Twitter, the Isles have played to a .700 points percentage since bringing Horvat aboard late last January.
-The deal that sent Horvat to Long Island also proved significant for the Red Wings. To acquire the centerman, New York shipped Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional 2023 first rounder to the Vancouver Canucks.
The Canucks in turn sent that pick to Detroit in exchange for defenseman Filip Hronek, and the Red Wings used the selection to choose Axel Sandin Pellikka in the 2023 Draft last June.
-"They defend, they're heavy," said Derek Lalonde when asked about the challenge of playing the Islanders this morning. "Some of the things that have given us issues in the last couple of games—getting to the goalie, creating some zone time—is gonna be a challenge tonight [sic]. I like the challenge though, against a team like this."
-Lalonde also noted that Olli Maatta will return to the line-up after being a scratch against the Bruins and that Justin Holl will be the odd-man out tonight on the back end. Ville Husso will start in goal for Detroit.
Debriefing the Bruins
In the aftermath of Saturday night's loss in Boston, the Red Wings made clear that they were disappointed in the night's effort.
"That first period wasn't good at all—losing puck battles, just them out-competing us in general," said Joe Veleno, author of the game's lone goal. "We can't be chasing games like this, especially against teams like that."
"Obviously still early on in the season," Veleno added. "We know deep down that they're meaningful games, and we know we've got to beat the best of the best to be the best...I don't know what it was. We didn't come out to play today."
Andrew Copp offered a similar message in his post-game comments. "We just didn't come out with the right mindset," he said, before pointing to his own role in that start. "I had a couple plays in particular that aren't what guys are in my position do—bad penalty, a couple turnovers."
To Copp, the team's frequent turnovers against the Bruins set into motion a downward spiral: "Turnovers cost us momentum in the game, cost us O zone time, which cost us shots from the point, which cost us rebounds and goals."
The veteran forward went on to point out that his team's frequent trips to the penalty box kept some of Detroit's top attacking contributors from getting involved.
"You don't want DeBrincat and Razor and Perron and Spronger, all those guys, sitting there for two minutes multiple times a period," he said. "The PK has done a decent job, but taking penalties—we've taken too many for sure."
Derek Lalonde echoed that point, saying after the game that taking so many penalties "zaps you of emotion." He went on to say that he "didn't mind our five-on-five game." but that his team "didn't have a ton of energy over the first two periods."
Where the power play had been a driving force in the Red Wings' hot start, Lalonde referred to it as "stale" against Boston, costing the team momentum that the team had grown accustomed to generating on the man advantage.
However, on a more optimistic note, Lalonde observed that Detroit has a chance to redeem itself tonight and turn the season's first road trip into a success.
"On the road, you always want to get as many points as games, so it's two games, and we know it's two playoff teams in the Eastern Conference," he said Saturday night. "We missed on an opportunity tonight, and we go get an opportunity on Monday."
Where to Watch
Tonight's game (a 7:30 PM start) will once again be broadcast by Bally Sports Detroit—available on television or via streaming and BSD+. For out of market fans, it will be on its familiar home—ESPN+ and Hulu.
The Silky Mitten State
Be sure to check out THN Detroit's new podcast: The Silky Mitten State. I'm joined by Connor Earegood of The Michigan Daily, College Hockey News, and THN's new NCAA site. We'll be chatting Red Wings, college hockey across the state, and anything else related to hockey in Michigan that catches our attention. Be on the look out for a new episode every Friday.
You can find full episodes on either Spotify or Apple Podcasts: