On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings return to action after a thrilling win on Tuesday over the Seattle Kraken that saw several major milestones like captain Dylan Larkin recording his 600th point while rookie Nate Danielson potted his first career goal. Detroit looks to continue their recent hot streak with three wins in their last four games when hosting rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer and the New York Islanders.
It'll be the 132nd all-time matchup between these two teams and should be a good one as the Islanders have also been red hot with five wins in their last six games with their only loss coming against the top seed in the league in the Colorado Avalanche. It should be an interesting test for Detroit to take on this new look team and how they'll handle a new face taking over the hockey world like Schaefer.
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Lineup Storylines
Red Wings top prospect Nate Danielson finally arrived on Tuesday with his first career goal, a second goal on a highlight reel play but was called off due to former Griffins linemate Emmitt Finnie being caught offside before the former Grand Rapids duo brought their talents to the NHL stage and combined on a game-winning goal for the Red Wings. It was fantastic for any Detroit fan to see Danielson finally look comfortable and confident as many who have seen him play know that once he gets confident and moving the way he'd like to, that's when he truly unlocks his high-end potential.
From plays where he deked through entire teams or snipes with his lethal shot, Danielson is now a player to look out for and will be tested against a tough Islanders team that is red hot with their defense even hotter. New York has a 2.17 goals against average during their recent six-game hot streak with their last matchup versus Detroit going well with just two goals allowed.
The lines are expected to experience a subtle shift once again as Red Wings bench boss Todd McLellan is going to look for the Griffins connection once again. McLellan will look to move Finnie down to the third line to play with Danielson while veteran winger Mason Appleton takes the other wing. Marco Kasper will get to play with Patrick Kane once again on the second line with J.T. Compher centering.
For New York, you can always count on Islanders bench boss Patrick Roy to smash the Schaefer button. If you have not seen a New York game this season and are curious to see what Schaefer can do, you will get ample oppurtunity on Thursday. The 18-year-old Hamilton, Ontario native has the most minutes on the Islanders by a significant margin, playing on the top defense pairing, power play and penalty kill. From the blue line, he’s generated more shot attempts than anyone on the roster and has shown impressive quickness, ranking second on the team in takeaways while also clogging lanes with the fifth-most blocks.
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer, Avalanche's Cale Makar Already Near-Locks in NHL Award RacesAn 18-year-old phenom and a Norris contender are dominating early NHL award races, setting impressive records and dazzling fans.Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
He’ll be a key player for the Red Wings to track on Thursday, especially since they’ve only faced him once this season and were able to hold him off the scoresheet. In that meeting, Detroit couldn't handle the rest of the Islanders offense, surrendering seven goals in a 7–2 loss. Early season breakout for New York in Emil Heineman scored twice and has carried that momentum forward, entering Thursday with 14 points in 20 games. The former Montreal forward has thrived alongside the red-hot Bo Horvat, who continues to pace the Islanders with a team-leading 24 points in 20 games.
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DET ML (-133) | NYI ML (+110)
DET -1.5 (+180) | NYI +1.5 (-222)
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Detroit's Lucas Raymond has been white hot with four straight multi-point games and riding a five-game point streak. He's totaled two goals and eight assists for ten points over the five games and has made the Red Wings top line lethal once again.
New York's win over Detroit earlier this season snapped a four-game winning streak in the matchup and could mean we will likely see a bounce back game for the home team on Thursday. Raymond should lead the way although he doesn't have the greatest history in this matchup.
The Swedish winger has points in just four of his last seven games versus the Islanders, tallying three goals and two assists for five points. He'll look to keep his hot streak alive and score for the third straight game as well as the third time in his last four matchups versus New York. Top line center Dylan Larkin should be able to help get Raymond on the board once again as this is a matchup he normally excels in. The Michigan native has points in five of his last six games versus the Islanders, recording four goals and two assists for six points.
To combat the Red Wings top line, we would expect New York's answer to be Horvat as their top line center, however the 30-year-old London, Ontario native has struggled in this matchup. He did get a pair of assists in their last matchup earlier this season but prior to that, Horvat had gone five straight games versus Detroit without recording a point.
Thursday, they may need more secondary options and that very well could come from the second line in Matt Barzal. The high-flying center has produced decent numbers this season like 15 points in 19 games but when playing against the Motor City hockey club, he finds ways to get the puck in the net. Barzal has four goals and 21 assists over his last 25 games versus the Red Wings, including eight multi-point performances and one five-assist game back in 2018.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: John Gibson (Season: 4-5-1 record, 3.32 GAA, .875 SV% | VS NYI: 4-4-1 record, 3.31 GAA, .899 SV% in 10 games)
New York: Ilya Sorokin (Season: 6-5-2 record, 2.92 GAA, .898 SV% | VS DET: 4-4-2 record, 2.47 GAA, .911 SV% in 11 games)
Two Former Michigan Teammates Hit Major NHL Milestones On The Same NightWolverines reunited: Larkin and Werenski hit monumental NHL point milestones on the same electrifying night, echoing their Michigan glory.Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
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