The Detroit Red Wings return home to take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight with puck drop set for 7:30 PM. This is Detroit’s second and final matchup against the Blackhawks this season. In the first matchup earlier in the season the Red Wings lost to Chicago 4-3 in overtime in Chicago.
Tonight’s Red Wings player to watch: Dominik Kubalik
Dominik Kubalik tonight is playing in his 63rd game of the season only missing one game when he was a healthy scratch a month ago against the Calgary Flames. Kubalik has played in 264 career games in four seasons in the NHL.
In Kubalik’s first three seasons, he played in 202 games scoring 62 goals and adding 54 assists for 116 points. This season with the Red Wings he has scored 17 goals and added 21 assists for 38 points.
- Kubalik ranks second on the team in goals.
- Kubalik ranks fifth on the team in assists.
- Kubalik ranks third on the team in points.
Kubalik is slated to play on the second line alongside Joe Veleno and Jonatan Berggren. Kubalik will also play on the second power play unit with Berggren, Andrew Copp, Alex Chiasson, and Jake Walman.
- Kubalik has seven power play goals this season.
- Kubalik has nine power play assists this season.
- Kubalik has 16 power play points this season.
- Kubalik has 18 power play goals in his career.
- Kubalik has 29 power play assists in his career.
- Kubalik has 47 career power play points in his career.
Kubalik’s numbers against the Blackhawks.
Kubalik played his first three seasons with the Blackhawks and now as a member of the Red Wings, he has played in one career game against his former team. In that one game, he scored a goal and tallied an assist for two points. That was the 4-3 loss by the Red Wings in overtime earlier this season.
Wrap Up
During the current Red Wings’ losing streak they have been outscored 27-8 in six games. Another unfortunate number for the Red Wings this season is they are tied for the league lead with 11 shorthanded goals given up along with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Red Wings are quickly losing ground in the playoff race after the loss to the Flyers on Sunday. It seems that since the 3-0 shutout against Tampa Bay the offense has changed its gameplan, not to mention the offensive players they traded away at the deadline.
The Red Wings enter tonight’s game eight points behind the Penguins for the final playoff spot and there are four other teams ahead of them in the chase, with 19 games remaining on their schedule. The Red Wings are starting to see this season slip away from them. If Detroit wants to make a surprising playoff run, they need to stop feeling sorry for themselves and start winning games against teams at the bottom of the league like this one tonight.
