Detroit City Wire

Before facing off in the 2025 NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets will meet at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night. The game begins at 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network.

The two-game set holds significant playoff implications as Detroit (30-22-6; 66 points) holds the first Wild-Card spot in the Eastern Conference standings, just two points ahead of Columbus (28-22-8; 64 points), which holds the second spot.

"You can either take a big step in the standings here in these next two games or lose one," said Alex DeBrincat. "We got to come out hard. Obviously, first one at home is important and we can move on from there."

Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan noted that both teams being in playoff contention adds excitement to this series. "The games are very meaningful," McLellan said. "Outdoor just adds a lot more drama to it, but on Sunday when we all wake up, the actual hockey part of it – the points and what comes out of it – will be the most important."

Detroit returns home after defeating the Minnesota Wild 3-2, rallying from a two-goal deficit. Simon Edvinsson scored twice while goalie Cam Talbot made 22 saves. Elmer Soderblom contributed with an assist and seven hits.

"A really good away game," Soderblom said about their performance against Minnesota. "We played better and better after a tough start for us, but it was strong to come back like that and get the win."

Soderblom has been consistent since being recalled from Grand Rapids Griffins, earning six points in his last nine games. "If we graded him out, he’s had an impact on almost every game," McLellan commented.

Columbus sits fourth in the Metropolitan Division after defeating Dallas Stars 6-4 on Tuesday. Zach Werenski leads their offense with 62 points while Kirill Marchenko follows with 36 points.

Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins has played 39 games this season with a goals-against average of 2.96.

The Red Wings aim for their second win against Columbus this season following a victory at Nationwide Arena earlier this year. Ben Chiarot acknowledged Columbus's strong play despite injuries: "They play a hard game... A team that plays and works hard, so it’ll be a good game [on Thursday]."