Morning Skate: Habs @ Red Wings, Preview & How to Watch

When: 7:00 PM Eastern
Where: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, MI
TV: BSDET, TSN2, RDS
Radio: 97.1 FM The Ticket // 1270 AM
Habs Blog: Habs Eyes on the Prize

What a day it is! Can you feel that sensation in the air? That lightness that wants to lift your arms and shoulders? Do you see how the world just looks a little brighter, the trees more vibrant than they’ve been in six autumns? It’s like your lungs are taking in a different kind of oxygen and there’s this energy in your chest, pushing you forward, but you gotta sit (or stand) and watch this hockey game?

I think this feeling is hope? Maybe. It’s been so long, I can barely remember what it feels like, but I think this is it. I think I’m hopeful, really hopeful for the first Red Wings season in a long time. I’m not sure if I’ve felt this good about the future of the Detroit Red Wings since… 2012? I think that would be accurate. I hope you’re feeling good, too. I hope you’ve got hope.

To start the 2022-2023 campaign, Detroit takes on the Montreal Canadiens at the LCA. It’s a time for change; if you haven’t kept track over the summer, Detroit will be dressing five new forwards ( Andrew Copp, David Perron, Elmer Soderblom, Oskar Sundqvist, and Dominik Kubalik), three new defensemen, all down the left side (Ben Chiarot, Olli Maata, and Robert Hagg) and a new goaltender (Ville Husso). That’s an extreme amount of turnover, so we’ll see if the Red Wings are as rejuvenated as the fans feel, or if they will need some time to find their footing with so many new faces. Unfortunately, Filip Zadina and Pius Suter will be out due to small injuries sustained during preseason.

There is a changing of the guard in Montreal, as well, as they look to turn a new leaf after a tough season. Nick Suzuki is the new captain of the Habs, and I can respect that. I’ve always liked him. They also picked up Kirby Dach from the Blackhawks in a draft-day trade. Jake Allen is now the guy between the pipes and Shea Weber is no longer patrolling the blue line and bashing heads through the boards (You’re never going to live that one down, Shea.) Things are definitely different in Montreal, and I’m sure both the team and fans feel it; they’ve got a game under their belt already, a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

So get excited and enjoy the game tonight; it should be a good one for a variety of angles. Both teams are looking to start a new chapter and will be eager to prove their new selves to the league. Coupled with the fact that it’s the beginning of the season, when half the good teams don’t know they’re good yet and half the bad teams don’t realize they’re bad, and it’s going to be a wild night.

[Ed note on the Predictions]:

Points are awarded as follows: