Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Red Wings are set to begin a three-game homestand at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, facing the Florida Panthers, who are the reigning two-time Stanley Cup champions. The Red Wings currently hold a 2-1-0 record with four points, while the Panthers have a 3-1-0 record and six points. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., with television coverage on TNT and streaming available via MAX. Radio coverage will be provided by Ken Kal and Paul Woods on the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

Fans attending Wednesday’s game will receive a Red Wings Magnet Schedule, courtesy of Belle Tire.

Red Wings forward Marco Kasper spoke about playing at home: “It’s huge,” Kasper said. “[The fans] always show up. It’s great for us to have them in the building and to play at home. We’re really looking forward to the next three games.”

Detroit enters this matchup after a narrow 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, completing a sweep of their home-and-home series against Toronto. Goaltender Cam Talbot made 38 saves out of 40 shots in that victory.

Reflecting on Monday's performance, Mason Appleton, who scored the decisive goal late in regulation, commented: “We didn’t love a lot of that game,” Appleton said. “But at the end of the season, when you’re looking back on your point total, you don’t remember how that one went in Toronto. You just remember the two points, so a win’s a win. A lot to get better on.”

Appleton moved up to Detroit’s top line after Lucas Raymond left Monday's game with an upper-body injury midway through the second period. With Raymond listed as day-to-day and unavailable for Wednesday's contest, Appleton is expected to continue playing alongside captain Dylan Larkin and rookie Emmitt Finnie.

“It’s a start for us,” head coach Todd McLellan said regarding Appleton's new role. “We’ll see where it goes…I thought he did a good job. He’s got some experience and can play both ends of the rink, which is important. That line takes on not only offensive responsibilities, but some defensive ones against a team’s top players. We think he can give us something on both sides of the puck.”

McLellan also confirmed that Talbot will make his third consecutive start in goal for Detroit, while John Gibson is set to start Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“The performance that Talbs had, in my opinion, he earned the right to go back in there again,” McLellan said. “We have a game on Friday. We know that Gibby’s got to play, will play and will play a lot and well. We’re just making a decision for today.”

The Panthers arrive following a 5-2 defeat against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena earlier this week. Through four games, Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell lead Florida with four points each (two goals and two assists apiece). Four other players—Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Mackie Samoskevich, and Gustav Forsling—have also recorded four points each. Sergei Bobrovsky has started three games for Florida this season with a 1.67 goals-against average and .925 save percentage; he was named NHL’s Third Star of the Week on Monday.

Discussing Florida's style of play, McLellan stated: “They play with their foot on the gas,” McLellan said about the Panthers. “Everybody plays the same game…They have players that come in and fit their system. They have a belief in what they do is the right way to do it, and proof is in the pudding so it’s easy to sell.”