PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (17-16-5) AT DETROIT RED WINGS (14-18-4)

LITTLE CAESARS ARENA, DETROIT, MI, USA

Networks: FDSNDET, SN-PIT

Let's close out 2024 the right way, shall we? A nice, wholesome 2 points would make the celebrations all the more sweet!

Detroit will have something to say about that, however. They aren't doing too hot in the standings, but you can't ever take a night off in this league; Otherwise "you run the risk of getting beat", as Sullivan likes to say. There's just too much parity. It's designed that way.
The Red Wings are coming off an impressive 4-2 win against the Caps, and will surely be hungry to keep rolling, especially on home ice.
Raymond, Larkin, DeBrincat, Kane, Seider... they still very much have guys who can hurt you.

The Pens have been a dismal road team this season, at 6-9-3. Their New Year's resolution should be to win more games away from the Burgh. This isn't a particularly challenging opponent to improve that record against, fortunately. They'll need to apply the lessons they've learned which led them to recent success. No sleepy start, no lapses in concentration after they score, stay resilient with mounting adversity, etc...
This is a win they desperately need, for the first half of January will not be so pleasant!

Happy 2025 all. 🥂🍾 May it be a great year! The world could really use one of those again.

Projected Lineup:

Rakell - Crosby - Rust
Bunting - Malkin - Beauvillier
O'Connor - Glass - Tomasino
Nieto - Lizotte - Acciari

Grzelcyk - Karlsson
Pettersson - Joseph
Graves - Shea

Nedeljkovic (confirmed)
Jarry

Red Wings Lineup

Injuries:
PIT: Pettersson (GTD), Pickering, Letang (DTD)
DET: None