The Detroit Red Wings look like they are rolling with a season-long hot hand as they face off against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Per Daily Faceoff, via Ansar Khan, Daniil Tarasov took reps in the starter’s net. With John Gibson missing the majority of Detroit’s loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Red Wings have since put him on injured reserve. Gibson’s injury also forced the Wings to turn to Tarasov on Tuesday.
Tarasov was once again stellar in relief, making 12 saves on 13 shots. That performance came one day after Tarasov faced his former team, the Florida Panthers, whom he stopped 23 of 26 shots against. Although Tarasov signed on to be the backup, he has seen a lot of action so far in 2026-27.
Tarasov has now appeared in six games with a 2-1-2 record. He has posted a .927 save percentage, a 1.74 GAA, a shutout, and a .500 quality starts percentage.
Now, he is being asked to backstop the Wings against a Golden Knights team that has put up 57 goals this season. That number ranks fifth in the league. The Knights are also averaging 3.35 goals per game, so Tarasov has his work cut out for him.
That said, so does the entire Red Wings lineup.
Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines And Pairings vs. Vegas
Khan also shared what the Red Wings’ lines may look like for Thursday night’s contest. It looks like Alex DeBrincat, Emmitt Finnie, and Viktor Arvidsson will start things off. DeBrincat is tied with Raymond for the team lead in points, with 16. That puts them both on a point-per-game pace.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Andrew Copp, and Raymond are the projected second line. Copp looks like he is heating up, with three points in his last two games. If Copp stays consistent, the Red Wings’ top six with their current lineup could get dangerous.
Michael Rasmussen, J.T. Compher, and Nate Danielson look slated for the third line. Danielson will be back in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 31, should the projection hold.
Carter Mazur, Sheldon Dries, and Keegan Kolesar are the projected fourth line. Mazur has two points in his last three appearances, including his first NHL goal against Florida.
The projected defensive pairings once again list Ben Chiarot pairing with Moritz Seider, William Wallinder with Justin Faulk, and Andreas Englund with Anton Johansson. Wallinder has been averaging between 15:55 and 20:08 of ice time over his past five contests.
Detroit Looking To Keep Pace In The Ultra-Competitive Atlantic
The Red Wings may currently be last in the Atlantic Division. But with 17 points, they are five ahead of the other eighth-place team in the East, the Philadelphia Flyers, who have 12.
Early November isn’t a time for playoff hockey, but one can’t help but wonder if playoff hockey will come early for the Atlantic.
Despite all the turmoil Detroit has been through in recent months, they are still keeping things competitive in the NHL’s toughest division. If they want to keep themselves in contention even early, then they need to bring their A-game against tough opponents like the Golden Knights. Even if Vegas plays in a different division and conference.
The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Red Wings Projected Lineup vs. Vegas Reveals Goalie Change