The Red Wings look to end a five-game skid against the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning. And their lineup may look a little different.
Per Daily Faceoff, as of Saturday at 12:00 p.m. EST, Marco Kasper looks like he’s getting a chance on Detroit’s first line. Should that be the case, Kasper could see more minutes than he has become accustomed to.
It would be quite the jump for Kasper, who recently returned from a lengthy injury absence. Kasper did, however, score a goal in his second game back against the Florida Panthers.
He has also skated substantially longer than he did in the season opener vs. the New York Rangers. In his return on Nov. 10 against the St. Louis Blues, Kasper saw 15:06 of ice time. In that game against Florida, he skated for 14:12.
The intriguing question here is: What is Detroit’s plan overall regarding Kasper? Are the Red Wings looking to give him top-six, or at least middle-six, minutes? Or are they trying to create a spark by mixing up the lines?
Ultimately, Kasper may help make that decision based on his play.
Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines And Pairings Against Tampa Bay, Nov. 14
Alex DeBrincat and Emmitt Finnie are slated to line up alongside Kasper. Both Finnie and DeBrincat have been among Detroit’s top point producers, with 11 and 16 points, respectively.
The projected second line looks steady, with Michael Brandsegg-Nygard slated to line up alongside Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond. Raymond remains the team leader in points, with 19 in 20 games.
J.T. Compher is projected to center the third line, with Carter Mazur and Viktor Arvidsson at the wings. Mazur has been getting it together lately, with five points and a goal in 13 appearances.
Michael Rasmussen, Sheldon Dries, and Keegan Kolesar look like they will round out the forward lines. Rasmussen will look to get going after he was scratched in the previous contest.
The defensive pairings may see a change, with William Wallinder projected to pair alongside Moritz Seider. Wallinder has five points and two goals in 15 games, and has averaged 16:50 of ice time per contest.
Veterans Ben Chiarot and Justin Faulk look like the second pairing. Finally, Andreas Englund and Anton Johansson are projected for the third pair. This will be Englund’s 16th appearance this season.
Daniil Tarasov Expected To Face Lightning
Per Helene St. James, Daniil Tarasov is expected to get the nod. With John Gibson continuing to struggle, Tarasov is the best option for a team looking to get back on track.
He may be just 2-3-2, but his .919 save percentage, 2.10 GAA, and his shutout are proof that Tarasov should remain the go-to until Gibson rediscovers his form. Should Tarasov man the net on Saturday night and win? Detroit may need to roll with him even more often.
Saturday would make Tarasov’s seventh start of the season compared to Gibson’s 13. Michal Postava started one game this season. As it stands, Tarasov is starting roughly 33 percent of all the games.
So, there are a few questions both in the net and on the lines and pairings regarding a few Red Wings players. Saturday’s matchup against Tampa Bay may start answering a few of those questions. Coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Red Wings’ Lineup Projection Raises Intriguing Marco Kasper Question