Detroit City Wire

Goaltender Petr Mrazek will return to the Detroit Red Wings lineup as they face the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night. The game, marking the season series finale between Detroit and Buffalo, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with broadcasts available on TNT, MAX, and FanDuel Sports Network Detroit. Fans can also listen via 97.1 The Ticket.

Mrazek, who was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks before last Friday's NHL Trade Deadline, expressed his excitement about returning to Detroit after seven years. "It’s been seven years since I was here, but it feels like being back to normal," he said. He added that it felt nice to be back in a familiar place with people he knows.

Originally selected by the Red Wings in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Mrazek played parts of six seasons with Detroit before moving on to play for several other teams including Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes.

Reflecting on his return, Mrazek stated, “My first steps in the NHL were here,” and described wearing the Red Wings sweater again as a privilege. This will be his first start for Detroit since February 18, 2018.

Detroit head coach Todd McLellan commented on Mrazek's familiarity with the team: “He’s familiar with trainers and a lot of faces around that he’s played with.” McLellan noted that having Mrazek active on the bench recently has been beneficial for the team.

The Red Wings are currently experiencing a challenging period after their sixth consecutive loss against Ottawa Senators. Despite this streak, McLellan emphasized maintaining belief while holding players accountable for lapses in performance.

Buffalo Sabres ended their own winless streak by defeating Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Monday. Forward Tage Thompson scored twice during this match and now leads Buffalo with 33 goals this season.

Sabres' goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has appeared in 47 games this season posting a record of 21-20-4 along with two shutouts.

Detroit holds a slight advantage over Buffalo this season having won two out of three previous encounters. Discussing Buffalo's strengths McLellan said: “They have their own thing going on there right now... In the offensive zone they’re tough to handle.”