Game Preview: Florida Panthers @ Detroit Red Wings (Round 5)
Tonight's Venue: Little Caesars Arena
All-Time DET vs FLA Record at Venue: 1-3-3
Season Series vs FLA: 1-2-1
Goaltender DET: T. Greiss
(13 GP, 1-9-3, 0.899% Sv%, 2.90 GAA)
Goaltender FLA: S. Bobrovsky
(7 GP, 5-1-1, 0.884% Sv%, 3.33 GAA)
DraftKings Odds:
DET Puckline: +1.5 (-180), +150 Moneyline
FLA Puckline: -1.5 (+148), -177 Moneyline
Players to watch (DET) : F. Zadina, R. Fabbri, D. Larkin
Players to watch (CHI) : J. Huberdeau, A. Ekblad, A. Barkov
Jesse's Prediction: 3-1 Panthers
Matt's Prediction: 2-1 Panthers
Mike's Prediction:
The Joel Quenneville-led Florida Panthers have surprised much of the league's pundits and experts with their early start as they currently lead the Central Division with an astounding 0.786% point percentage. They'll visit Little Caesars Arena tonight in an attempt to further their lead in the division against a struggling Red Wings squad who lost back-to-back games against Chicago.
Florida comes into tonight's game on a 2-game winning streak with a win against Tampa Bay and Carolina respectively.
It isn't a mistake or lazy writing that most of the keys remain the same.
Keys to the Game:
🔑 1: The Power Play
Through basic statistic crunching and an optimistic outlook, it's a fair assumption that if the Red Wings could manage just league average special teams, especially the power play, they'd be close to 0.500% points percentage, if not higher.
Despite what their record to this point will tell you, the Wings are actually one of the better teams in the league at even strength, ranking 5th (!) in the league in xGF. An abysmal power play, which has now gone without a goal in their last 30 attempts, has lost the Red Wings an excessive amount of their games.
Something needs to change and something needs to work here for the Red Wings powerplay, which hasn't been this bad since the 1996/97 season when a much better Red Wings squad opened the year 0/33 on the powerplay.
The Panthers rank 21st in the league on their PK with 76.2%.
🔑 2: Leaders Need to Lead
Repeat #2, the Red Wings lost a close game against Chicago (see: powerplay) on Monday and all of their scoring came from depth. They followed that effort on Wednesday by being shut out. Mantha failed to register a point in either game. More alarming, Dylan Larkin is pointless in his last 4 games and has only 1 point (an assist) in his last 8 contests. He has not scored a goal since January 31st against the Panthers.
These are the players that the Red Wings rely on to produce. Lack of results, especially with that long of a drought for Larkin, is not doing the Red Wings any favors.
🔑 3 : Details and Communication
Repeat #3, there are still too many miscues to blame on rust and unfamiliarity. It's not all due to a lack of skill. The Wings simply need to be better in this category. Passes need to find their intended receivers. Coverages need to be sorted out. Puck battles need to be won.
If the Red Wings can nail down the details of the game, the rest will follow. Luck is the residue of hard work, and the Wings need to put in that work to start turning some of these close, winnable games around.
🔑 4 : Get to Bobrovsky
Bobrovsky has frequented the winning column this year thanks mostly to the superior team play of the Florida Panthers. The offensively starved Red Wings need to get to Bobrovsky early to rattle the former Vezina winner's confidence to allow the game to open up and the offense to come easily.
If Bobrovsky is allowed to get in the zone he's going to stay there, and the Wings will have a hard time answering goals against.
🔑 5: Match-Ups
Jonathan Huberdeau is coming into tonight's game red hot with 5 points in his last 2 games. It is absolutely imperative that Head Coach Jeff Blashill takes advantage of home ice and makes Luke Glendening into Huberdeau's shadow.
#LGRW
