Game Day Updates
“This goes back to me getting on my knees and saying to God, ‘I can’t handle this anymore. Whatever happens, please let me be the messenger.’ “
– Darren McCarty on the Avalanche brawl
Oral history of the 1996-97 Red Wings:https://t.co/EpmC91GgYK
— Matt Larkin (@MLarkinHockey) April 29, 2022
Lineups
Detroit
Forwards
Bertuzzi – Veleno – Raymond
Vrana – Suter – Gagner
Elson – Rasmussen – Sundqvist
Criscuolo – Stephens – Hirose
Defense
DeKeyser – Seider
Walman – Hronek
Oesterle – Lindstrom
Goalies
Nedeljkovic
Hellberg
New Jersey
Forwards
Bratt – Boqvist – Holtz
Sharangovich – Mercer – Kuokkanen
Foote – Zacha – Zetterlund
Vesey – McLeod – Bastian
Defense
Graves – Severson
Bahl – Hamilton
Smith – Okhotyuk
Goalies
Blackwood
Hammond
1. Put a Stamp on the Calder Trophy Ballots
Over the past few weeks most pundits have generally been tagging Seider for the Calder Trophy this season, with Raymond often also mentioned on potential ballots. But tonight is an opportunity to make a key final impression on the voters before they submit their ballots. A multi-point night by either player could be enough to sway any remaining fence sitters. It’d also be nice to see Seider reach the 50 point milestone, as he sits parked at 49 points.
2. Get a Good Last Look at Some of These Faces
With another offseason that seems poised for a lot of turnover, this will be the last chance to see several of these players wearing the winged wheel. Even players that have become cornerstones of this rebuild like Bertuzzi, Hronek, and others could be on the move depending what Yzerman decides. Not to mention the future of coach Jeff Blashill is as uncertain as it has ever been in his tenure. So while the results are not where they need to be yet, as demonstrated by the Wings slide since January, take a chance to enjoy what these guys have each brought to the team, even if the final scores weren’t always kind.
3. End the Season On a High Note
Draft lottery be damned, the Wings are sitting somewhere between 7th-9th pick before the lottery balls fall. The stakes are not nearly as high here if they grab a couple of points and slide a position. The odds of moving up change by a few tenths of a percent, which is really all there is to be concerned about. So with that, the Wings should close out another tough season with a win. The Devils are a team the Wings are well capable of beating. They just need to go out and execute. In the big picture it doesn’t mean much, but it would be nice for the psyche of the players and fans alike to head into the offseason with a win as their last memory of the season.