The Detroit Red Wings have a starter for Thursday night’s matchup when their historic rival skates into town.
Despite Michal Postava getting the best of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, John Gibson returns to the crease on Thursday. Daily Faceoff confirmed it via Ansar Khan. Gibson has been up and down through the opening month, posting an .867 save percentage, a 3.44 GAA, and a .250 quality starts percentage.
Still, it’s early enough in the season for Gibson to turn his luck around. It would be great for Detroit if it happened Thursday night, as the Red Wings are coming off that big shootout win over the Edmonton Oilers.
He is also facing a Blackhawks team that still can’t get it together offensively. Chicago is 4-8-0 so far, and their anemic play while they have the puck is a big reason. They scored 26 times in 12 games, good for 2.16 goals per contest.
That said, the Red Wings skaters also can’t take the Blackhawks lightly.
Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines And Pairings vs. Blackhawks
Ansar Khan also shared the projected lines for Thursday night. Dylan Larkin won’t play, so Emmitt Finnie is slated to take the reins as the first-line center. Alex DeBrincat and Viktor Arvidsson should flank him. Finnie continues to enjoy a good sophomore season with eight points in 12 games.
Andrew Copp looks to sidle in as the second-line center, with Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Lucas Raymond at the wings. Raymond’s points total has climbed lately, and he has 11 points in 12 games (three goals).
J.T. Compher is projected to slide into the lineup as the third-line center. Nate Danielson and Michael Rasmussen are the projected wingers. Danielson has two points in 10 games, and Chicago would be a great opponent for him to get on track against.
Finally, Carter Mazur and Keegan Kolesar are projected to take the fourth line at the wings. Kolesar is still looking for his first point as a Red Wing. But he has been landing almost three hits per game, with 35 in 12 contests.
Ben Chiarot should pair with Moritz Seider on the first pairing, and Seider continues to make his presence known as a playmaker. He has six assists in 12 games along with his defensive responsibilities.
William Wallinder is slated to line up beside Justin Faulk. The two have a combined eight points and four goals this season.
Andreas Englund and Anton Johansson are the slated third pairing. Englund has also been a physical force, with 23 hits in seven games, while Johansson has four points in 12 contests. Axel Sandin-Pellikka is the slated seventh defenseman.
Golden Opportunity Awaits Detroit Following Road Trip
Detroit may be over .500 in points with 13, but they are tied for last place in the Atlantic with the Buffalo Sabres. While that can change on Thursday night, the more important objective is for Gibson and the Red Wings to win a game that they are supposed to win. And that is the case vs. the still-building Blackhawks.
Should Detroit win, they will have strung together two straight. That will serve as a strong momentum builder heading into the end of October. The puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
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