Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings: Lineups, Goalies, Viewing Guide
The Detroit Red Wings (40-29-8) host the Columbus Blue Jackets (38-27-12) tonight at Little Caesars Arena. Both clubs sit on 88 points, two behind the second Eastern Conference wildcard spot.
Game details and odds
Faceoff is at 7 p.m. ET. DraftKings lists Columbus at +1.5 and -250, and Detroit at -1.5 and +205. The matchup has playoff implications for both teams.
Form and recent results
Detroit has gone 2-6 over its past eight games. The Red Wings lost their Dec. 4 meeting with Columbus in a 6-5 shootout.
Columbus arrives on a six-game losing streak. The Blue Jackets fell 2-1 to Winnipeg in their last outing.
Key players and milestones
Dylan Larkin has produced 11 points (5-6-11) across his last 14 games. He has been playing while dealing with an injury.
Patrick Kane sits at 507 career goals and 1,395 points. His totals recently moved him past Luc Robitaille on the NHL scoring list.
JT Compher reached the 300-point mark. He became the seventh Illinois-born player to do so.
Team averages
Columbus averages 3.05 goals per game this season. They allow 3.06 goals per contest.
Injuries and availability
Detroit lists Justin Faulk and Mason Appleton as questionable. Faulk skated this morning, while Appleton did not, per MLive’s Ansar Khan.
Columbus has Brendan Smith on injured reserve. Damon Severson and Dimitri Voronkov are out. Mathieu Olivier is day-to-day.
Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings: Lineups, Goalies, Viewing Guide
Below are the projected lines and starting goaltenders for both clubs. Use this as a quick viewing guide before puck drop.
Detroit projected lineup and goalies
| Line 1 | Alex DeBrincat — Andrew Copp — Patrick Kane |
| Line 2 | Emmitt Finnie — Dylan Larkin — Lucas Raymond |
| Line 3 | David Perron — JT Compher — Marco Kasper |
| Line 4 | James van Riemsdyk — Michael Rasmussen — Carter Mazur |
| Defense | Simon Edvinsson — Moritz Seider; Ben Chiarot — Axel Sandin Pellikka or Justin Faulk; Albert Johansson — Jacob Bernard-Docker |
| Goalies | John Gibson (starter); Cam Talbot (backup) |
| Extras | Travis Hamonic, Dominik Shine |
Columbus projected lineup and goalies
| Line 1 | Mason Marchment — Adam Fantilli — Kirill Marchenko |
| Line 2 | Boone Jenner — Sean Monahan — Conor Garland |
| Line 3 | Cole Sillinger — Charlie Coyle — Danton Heinen |
| Line 4 | Zach Aston-Reese — Isac Lundestrom — Miles Wood |
| Defense | Zach Werenski — Denton Mateychuk; Ivan Provorov — Dante Fabbro; Jake Christiansen — Erik Gudbranson |
| Goalies | Jet Greaves (starter); Elvis Merzlikins (backup) |
Notes and context
Detroit performs well when leading after one period. The Red Wings are 17-2-1 overall in such games, and 6-1-1 at home.
Michael Rasmussen has not recorded a point since Jan. 5. He has gone 24 games without a point.
For further coverage, follow Filmogaz.com for updates and final confirmations before puck drop.
