The Detroit Red Wings will look to keep their recent surge rolling when they host the New York Islanders in a tightly contested matchup between two emerging playoff contenders. Detroit enters the game riding a 5-1-2 hot streak but faces a familiar challenge in New York, a team that has dominated the season series to this point.
Saturday’s contest features the second seed from the Atlantic Division squaring off against the second seed in the Metropolitan Division, with both teams beginning to separate themselves in their respective races. While the standings suggest a close battle, the Islanders have had the upper hand so far this season, outscoring Detroit 12–2 in two lopsided victories. This time, however, the Red Wings will try to flip the script on home ice.
Lineup Storylines
Detroit will debut a notable lineup change as the team begins its homestand. The Red Wings recalled forward John Leonard, one of the hottest players in the minors this season. The 27-year-old has been unstoppable, leading the league with 19 goals and adding 10 assists for 29 points in just 20 games. Leonard has scored in 15 of those contests, earning him a chance to make an immediate impact at the NHL level.
Leonard is expected to slot into the second line alongside Andrew Copp and Alex DeBrincat, taking the place of veteran Patrick Kane, who is sidelined for the next few games after tweaking an upper-body injury. The extended opportunity gives Leonard a significant runway to prove his offensive success can translate against top competition.
The remainder of the lineup is expected to stay largely intact as Detroit’s physical bottom-six group, including James van Riemsdyk and Michael Rasmussen, will look to build on recent success, while the young trio of Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, and Elmer Söderblom continues searching for consistency and production.
On the blue line, attention remains on Simon Edvinsson with his value around the league being underscored by reports from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that the 22-year-old defenseman may have been a part of the Vancouver Canucks’ asking price in discussions surrounding star blueliner Quinn Hughes. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman ultimately declined to move Edvinsson, a decision that reflects Detroit’s long-term confidence in the young Swede.
One move the Red Wings are especially pleased with is their acquisition of goaltender John Gibson, who has been outstanding as of late. Over his last five starts, Gibson is unbeaten with a 2.00 goals-against average, a .940 save percentage, and two shutouts. He will aim to stay locked in against an Islanders team that has won six of its last seven games.
Much like Detroit, New York’s success has been fueled by a blend of proven veterans and impactful young players. The Islanders lean on established stars such as Mathew Barzal, Anders Lee, and Kyle Palmieri, while rookies Matthew Schaefer and Calum Ritchie have made quicker-than-expected contributions.
The biggest concern for New York came earlier this week when leading scorer Bo Horvat went down awkwardly against the Anaheim Ducks, sparking fears of a season-ending injury. Fortunately for the Islanders, Horvat has been diagnosed with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss just one to three weeks.
Even without Horvat, Detroit will have its hands full. Barzal and Lee have been especially dangerous during New York’s recent run, each recording seven points over the last seven games. Both have torched the Red Wings this season. Lee had three assists in the first meeting, while Barzal totaled two goals and an assist across the two matchups.
With confidence building on both sides, the matchup serves as a measuring stick for Detroit’s progress. The Red Wings enter with momentum, improved goaltending, and a fresh injection of offense, while the Islanders arrive with recent dominance in the series and belief they can continue to dictate play.
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Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
DET ML (-125) | NYI ML (+105)
DET -1.5 (+185) | NYI +1.5 (-227)
O/U 6.0 Goals
Although the Red Wings are an Original Six franchise and the Islanders joined the NHL as one of the league’s earliest expansion teams in 1972, the two clubs have met only 132 times. Detroit holds a narrow edge in the all-time series, with 64 wins compared to New York’s 32. Before the Red Wings dropped two games to the Islanders earlier this season, Detroit had won five of the previous six meetings between the teams.
There has been no clear pattern when it comes to scoring in this matchup, though six of the last 11 games have finished with five or fewer total goals. If offense does emerge in this contest, it is likely to come from Detroit captain Dylan Larkin and Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
Dylan Larkin scores a power-play goal against the New York Islanders to make it 1-0 #NYIvsDET#Isles#LGRWpic.twitter.com/a1MXc65cGd
— nopClips (@nopClips) March 4, 2023
Larkin has been outstanding this season, recording 33 points in 33 games, including one of Detroit’s two goals against New York earlier this year. Schaefer continues to draw attention in the Calder Trophy race, with some even mentioning him in Norris Trophy discussions and as a potential candidate for Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics. The rookie has posted an impressive 23 points in 33 games from the blue line, though he has yet to break through against Detroit this season. That could change Tuesday, as he comes in on a hot streak with eight points in his last ten games.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: John Gibson (Season: 9-7-1 record, 3.13 GAA, .890 SV% | VS NYI: 4-5-1 record, 3.47 GAA, .892 SV% in 11 games)
New York: Ilya Sorokin (Season: 12-8-2 record, 2.49 GAA, .912 SV% | VS DET: 5-4-2 record, 2.25 GAA, .920 SV% in 12 games)
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