Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Red Wings are set to wrap up their 2024-25 regular season with two consecutive road games, starting with the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on Wednesday evening.

This match marks the third and last meeting of the season between Detroit, holding a 38-35-7 record with 83 points, and New Jersey, with a 42-32-7 record and 91 points. The game will commence at 7:30 p.m. and be available on TNT/truTV/MAX and FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, alongside radio coverage on 97.1 The Ticket, the Red Wings' main radio station.

So far, the Red Wings have split their encounters with the Devils this season, securing a 5-3 win on October 24 but later facing a 5-4 loss on November 29, both matches held at Little Caesars Arena.

Albert Johansson highlighted the importance of finishing the season strong, stating, “There is always someone watching and something to play for. You can play for yourself and feel good about how we end the season here. Two games – just want to continue to play good hockey and have good habits.”

After defeating the Dallas Stars 6-4 in their last home game, the Red Wings ended their home streak with a commendable 22-16-3 record. This marks the second consecutive season they have achieved at least 20 home victories.

Head coach Todd McLellan emphasized the importance of maintaining efforts in their remaining games. “We’re challenging them to give to each other down the stretch,” McLellan mentioned. “It’s human nature [to think] ‘It’s over for us. We’re not going to play again. I’m not sure I want to get completely involved in this game.’”

Ahead of the game in Newark, McLellan revealed the team's plans for their lineup, stating, “Our plan is to play [William] Lagesson both games, so we’ll have a defenseman change both in New Jersey and Toronto if health holds up and everything is equal. [Petr] Mrazek and Alex [Lyon] will each get a game.”

The Devils are set to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference First Round. They recently secured a 5-4 overtime win against the Boston Bruins. Jesper Bratt leads the Devils in points and assists, while captain Nico Hischier leads in goals. Despite his early season-ending shoulder surgery, Jack Hughes ranks second in points for the team.

Reflecting on the team's performance, Marco Kasper expressed, “Getting better each day, that’s what I’m trying to do and we as a team are trying to do. A lot of ups and downs and at the end, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Like Albert said, we just want to build over these last few games and go into the summer feeling good about ourselves.”