Detroit Red Wings make major lineup announcement prior to game vs Ottawa Senators
Photo credit: NHL
The Detroit Red Wings will take on their Atlantic Division rivals tonight, the Ottawa Senators in a bid to stop their five-game losing streak.
The Detroit Red Wings have to keep pushing if they want to make the NHL playoffs this season.
With Dylan Larkin out, and the team going on a five-game bender which has kept them out of a wild card spot, the Wings need to earn two points in a regulation victory tonight.
It's a big game for both teams, and instead of relying upon their newest acquisition in the net, Petr Mrazek they're going for a familiar face in Cam Talbot.
«Mrazek will back up,» McLellan said. «Then going forward, we'll have a plan to lay out the rest of the games. We'd like Petr to get a little more time in the net. He's been sharing it in Chicago. After practice yesterday, there was discussion made that we'll go with [Talbot] today and move forward from there.»
Mrazek has gone through the dregs of bottom-dwelling hockey in Chicago and earned his time as the starting goalie after his second season in the Windy City.
But in Detroit, he'll have to take a backseat to goalie Cam Talbot who has earned the #1 position in hockeytown.
Maybe it'll be a good thing for Mrazek to get settled into the new system in Detroit under Todd McLellan.
But after suffering multiple groin injuries, you can see how time has worn down the goalie.
Before he arrived in Detroit he had a record of 10-19-2, a 3.46 GAA, and a .890 save percentage.
The team will need someone with a higher pedigree in goaltending in order to put a stop to Dylan Cozens, Brady Tkachuk, and the deep lineup of the Ottawa Senators.
That's where Cam Talbot comes into play, as he'll give the Wings a winning chance given his record is solid at 17-14-3, 2.96 GAA, and a .900 save percentage.
Tonight the Red Wings will need to earn two points in order to gain re-entry into the Wild Card race, as they have a record of 30-27-6 and 66 points.
Not enough to lap either the Ottawa Senators or New York Rangers in the East.
Will Mrazek be able to adjust to his new role in Detroit, and maybe find his game again?
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