SAN JOSE Starting Tuesday night at SAP Centre, the Detroit Red Wings will play their opening game of a three-game road trip across California against the San Jose Sharks.
Following their matchup with the Sharks (9-25-3; 21 points) on Tuesday, the Red Wings (17-16-4; 38 points) will play the Los Angeles Kings (20-8-5; 45 points) at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. Then, on Sunday, January 7, they will travel to Honda Centre to play the Anaheim Ducks (13-23-0; 26 points).
Following Detroit’s 5-3 defeat to the Boston Bruins in the yearly New Year’s Eve game at Little Caesars Arena, Ben Chiarot stated, “I think heading out on the road will be good for us, getting the team together.” “Our goal is to gain traction in California.”
The Red Wings and Sharks will play their final game of the season on Tuesday, October 29, at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. Bally Sports Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket) will provide broadcast coverage.
After splitting a two-game homestand to complete the 2023 season, Detroit defeated the Nashville Predators 5-4 in overtime on December 28 but lost to Boston three days later.
“A chance lost,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde remarked following the team’s defeat by the reigning Presidents’ Trophy champions. “Performed some excellent work. That was a game we could have easily won. Probably the most comprehensive sixty minutes we’ve had in a long time. came up against a squad that had a very small window of opportunity to win.
After netting his third goal of the year on Sunday, Chiarot stated that Detroit is still developing its ability to win close games. This season, 23 of the Red Wings’ 37 games have been decided by two goals or fewer.
Chiarot remarked, “I think that’s kind of part of a team’s maturation, especially a young team.” “Holding a lead and winning those close games.” These are the objectives that we are pursuing here. Learning how to play those games and being comfortable with it takes time.
San Jose was defeated 3-1 by the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, marking their eighth consecutive loss. The Sharks, who have struggled this season on both ends of the ice, are bottom in the NHL in terms of both offence (2.03 goals per game) and defence (4.05 goals against per game).
With 28 points this season—13 goals and 15 assists—Tomas Hertl leads San Jose in scoring. Mikael Granlund is in second place with 24 points (four goals and 20 assists), and William Eklund is in third place with 16 points (seven goals and nine assists). The Sharks’ season-long goalie duo, Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen, combined for 26 saves on December 7 at Little Caesars Arena during a back-and-forth 6-5 overtime victory over the Red Wings.
