Red Wings Attempting to Qualify for Postseason for 23rd Straight Season
The Detroit Red Wings hope to maintain the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference tonight when they visit the Buffalo Sabres, the worst team in the conference. Detroit has four games over six days to try to qualify for the playoffs for the 23rd straight season.
The Red Wings are currently in 7th place in the conference with a record of 37-27-14 for 88 points. Detroit is one point ahead 8th place Columbus with just four games left for both teams.
Buffalo is sitting in last place in the conference with a record of 21-48-9 for only 51 points. The Sabres have lost 3 straight games heading into tonight’s matchup.
Over their past ten games, Detroit is 6-3-1, while Buffalo is 2-7-1.
This will be the fourth and last game between Detroit and Buffalo. This season Detroit has won the previous three games and overall has defeated Buffalo in their past six games head to head.
The Red Wings must play three of their final four games on the road. Detroit has won four of its last five overall. Buffalo has lost three straight and seven of its past eight overall and is just 2-13-1 over its last 16 games.
Detroit has made some changes to its lineup with Pavel Datsyuk now centering Justin Abdelkader and Johan Franzen and Riley Sheahan playing between Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist.
The changes, said head coach Mike Babcock, are to turn the lights back on again, so players remain on the top of their games.
Buffalo has 13 players who are either injured and out or nursing their injuries but able to compete. Included in that list are the Sabres No. 1 and No. 2 goaltenders.
This season the club has dressed 44 different players, which is a franchise record and a big part of the reason the team has won so few games and is dead last in the conference standings.
Ted Nolan the head coach for Buffalo said he did not believe in luck when asked if their injury situation was due to bad luck.
The Sabres will start Matt Hackett in goal, with a backup liking coming for their American Hockey League’s Rochester affiliate. Marcus Foligno should return to the Sabres lineup for Tuesday’s game.
Darren Helm a center for Detroit has five points on four goals and one assist over his past five games played. Nyquist has scored 11 points in his last 12 games including 12 goals and 2 assists. Franzen has recorded four assists in his past five games.
Tyler Ennis a Buffalo forward has record 2 goals and 2 assists in his last five games, while Cody Hodgson at center as 3 goals and 2 assists in his last five.
Players out injured for Detroit includes Jonathan Ericsson, Stephen Weiss and Henrick Zetterberg. All three are on injured reserve.
For Buffalo, Zenon Konopka took part in practice on Monday and should play. Chris Stewart is questionable. Christian Ernhoff and Torrey Mitchell will be game time decisions. Another eight players are out for the game.
Pick: Detroit 3-1
