The Red Wings open up their regular season at home versus the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
The Detroit Red Wings open up their season Thursday at home versus the Montreal Canadiens, who are coming off a crushing 5-2 defeat in their first game of the season versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
This will be the 613th all-time meeting between the Red Wings and Habs with Montreal holding the upperhand historically with a 297-210-91-9 record. This trend continued last season when the Habs won three out of four games in the season series versus the Red Wings. We can expect a high-scoring affair as these two clubs have totalled over six goals in six of their last seven matchups.
Lineup Storylines
Both teams have made significant changes to their lineup with Montreal adding a top end talent to their blueline with Noah Dobson as well as inserting more young talent into meaningful roles this season with center Oliver Kapanen, who scored his first NHL goal on Wednesday, and winger Ivan Demidov, who is the favorite to win the Calder trophy this season.
Detroit will counter with an impressive wave of top prospects, including former first-round selections Axel Sandin-Pellikka on defense and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård on the right wing. Joining them is training camp and preseason standout Emmitt Finnie, a 2023 seventh-round pick who has transformed from an overlooked long shot into a projected top-line winger alongside captain Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. The last seventh round pick to rise up the rankings like Finnie has was Red Wings legend Henrik Zetterberg. All three of Detroit’s prospects will be making their NHL debut on Thursday.
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Final Form? Red Wings Hint At Opening Night Lines During PracticeThe Detroit Red Wings were back at practice this morning at Little Caesars Arena, and the lines they skated with could give a good indication as to what things could look like on Opening Night this coming Thursday.
Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
DET ML (-133) | MTL ML (+110)
DET -1.5 (+170) | MTL +1.5 (-208)
O/U 6.0 Goals
A key player to watch for the Canadiens is standout defenseman Lane Hutson. Despite posting a -2 rating in Wednesday’s game against Toronto, he still showcased his high-end skill with several plays that generated quality scoring chances. Hutson has also fared well historically against Detroit, recording five points in six career games versus the Red Wings. On the other hand, a Canadiens player to approach with caution is Cole Caufield. The 24-year-old sniper has struggled against Detroit, managing just five points (three goals, two assists) over 11 career games against them.
For the Red Wings, expect Alex DeBrincat to be a major factor once again. Detroit’s leading scorer has excelled in this matchup, notching 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) over his last 17 games versus Montreal. His chemistry with linemate Patrick Kane should also be key as Kane has tallied 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 18 career games against the Canadiens. A Detroit player who may be worth fading is Marco Kasper. The 21-year-old center has faced Montreal four times and has yet to register a point.
Note: The Habs have dominated the sportsbooks when it comes to facing off against the Red Wings with a 12-3 record against the spread over their last 15 matchups, including a 9-3 record when listed as an underdog. An overtime bet might be worth an extra look as the Red Wings and Habs have seen 11 of their last 18 matchups decided by one goal with seven of the games needing extra time.
Goalie Matchup
Montreal: Jakub Dobes (First Game VS DET, Last 19 Games: 8-6-3 record, 2.77 GAA, .906 SV%)
Detroit: John Gibson (VS MTL: 7-2-0 record, 2.29 GAA, .927 SV%)
Red Wings' Future Options Limiting As Star Free Agents Re-SignSuperstars Connor McDavid and Kyle Connor are no longer free agents next July, leaving smaller but still impactful group of targets for Red Wings to pick from.
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