Detroit Red Wings welcome Panthers for early season testing – Hockey Writer – Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on October 13 and will return home to face the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Wednesday. They will be without Lucas Redmond, who injured his shoulder in Monday’s win and faces a tough test with the Panthers.
Projection line
red wing
Emmet Finney – Dylan Larkin – Mason Appleton
Alex DeBrincat – Marco Casper – Patrick Kane
Andrew Compher – JT Compher – Michael Brandsager Nygard
James van Riemsdyk – Michael Rasmussen – Elmer Soderblom
Ben Chiarot-Moritz Seider
Simon Edwinson-Axel Sandin-Pelica
Albert Johnson – Jacob Bernard Doak
Cam Talbot
John Gibson
panthers
Carter Verhaeg – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand
Etu Lostarinen – Anton Lendl – Sam Reinhart
Mikey Samoskevich – Evan Rodriguez – Jesper Berkvist
AJ Greer-Luke Kunin-Jonah Gajovich
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Nico Mikola as Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis as Jeff Petry
Sergey Bobrovsky
Daniel Tarasov
2024-25 competition
- January 16, 2025 – 5-2 Red Wings win
- April 6, 2025 – Red Wings win 2-1
- April 10, 2025 – Panthers win 4-1
Overall, the Red Wings had a record of 2 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses against the Panthers last season. Cam Talbot found the back of the net in all three games and stopped 100 of 107 shots. Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin led Detroit’s offense with two goals each, with Larkin leading the team with four points. Penalties also put the Panthers in trouble, killing 4/5 of their chances. On the other hand, the score on the power play was 4/11.
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For the Panthers, Anton Lundell scored two goals and Mackie Samoskevich added three points.
X-Factor: Red Wings vs Panthers
How the Red Wings respond to Panthers preview
The Panthers are known for their “in-your-face” style. They are strict about front checking and love to throw bodies around. Being able to handle that pressure will be crucial for the Red Wings, especially in the defensive zone. They’ve struggled in their own zone to start the season, and if that continues against the Panthers, it could be a long night for Talbot. If they want to win this game, they need to simplify their hockey and game.
How Appleton can fill Raymond’s role on the top line
With Redmond out of the lineup, Mason Appleton will have a big hole to fill. The top line will likely match up with the Panthers’ top line, which is filled with pests like last season’s trade deadline acquisition Brad Marchand, who will cause problems for the Red Wings.
Appleton won’t be able to fill the void left by Raymond, but he can produce a clean game at both ends of the ice while helping Larkin and Finney find scoring opportunities. He took over when Redmond came off and did an admirable job, including scoring the winning goal.
The Red Wings win if…
The biggest unknown in this game is how well the Red Wings perform in the defensive zone. Talbot’s handstand helped lead to a victory over the Maple Leafs, while the team in front of him was playing sloppily. Playing this way against the Panthers would spell disaster because they know how to make teams pay for their mistakes. A clean all-around game in their zone would go a long way for Detroit to win its third straight game.
Offensively, utilizing their high-powered offense will also be key, especially against a team like the Panthers. Their penalty kill has been solid so far, but with the firepower of both Red Wings units, they should be able to take advantage.
Red Wings vs Panthers
An early-season matchup with the Panthers will help the Red Wings understand where they stand against one of the league’s best teams. This game will likely showcase their strengths and weaknesses as the Panthers will look to avenge their first loss of the season to the Philadelphia Flyers on October 13.
