Familiar faces

The Red Wings and Blackhawks lineups tonight contained a few familiar faces in new(ish) uniforms tonight. Former Blackhawks Alex Debrincat and Patrick Kane are in their second season on the wings. Meanwhile, former Red Wings Tyler Bertuzzi and longtime veteran goaltender Petr Mrazek are playing their first season together for the Chicago Blackhawks. All of them have played for a team or two in between, but tonight they were all together on the ice in completely opposite uniforms from those of their first meeting on January 14, 2018. This match allowed Bertuzzi to score his first professional goal. Tonight, he settled for an assist as his former team beat him and the Blackhawks 4-1.

Larkin and Debrincat continue to display offensive chemistry

Due to injuries and illnesses, the Red Wings’ top lines have looked different from game to game. One couple that will hopefully continue to be a staple is Larkin and Debrincat. Both scored a goal each with the other’s first assist tonight in the 4-1 win over the Blackhawks. Debrincat scored first on a deflection from Larkin at the end of the first period. The Blackhawks tied it in the second, but Larkin put the Red Wings ahead again a few minutes later after Debrincat forced a Bertuzzi turnover. Joe Veleno gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead afterward, and Andrew Copp scored when the Blackhawks took Mrazek off the ice late in the third. Hopefully some of the other Detroit lines will start to see the same score and consistency.

The defense always relies on the goalkeepers

Cam Talbot has certainly been practicing in net. The Red Wings have been outshot this season for nine straight games this season. Detroit was able to kill off a Chicago power play late in the second period with no shots on goal from the Blackhawks, but their overall defense still left a lot to be desired. The Blackhawks’ goal earlier in the period came after a poor read by the Red Wings that left Bertuzzi with the puck and no one nearby to contest as he headed a pass to Nic Foligno to tie the score. During the Red Wings’ first power play, they spent as much time in their own zone as they did in the Blackhawks’ zone.

Quick Notes-

-Dylan Larkin continues his three-game streak with a second-period goal.

-Mo Seider and Simon Edvinsson are playing some of the toughest minutes on defense in the NHL. Aside from them, there are a lot of question marks on the blue line.

-Veleno’s second-period goal was his first of the season.

–Vladimir Tarasenko returned from his illness but I had a relatively quiet night.