GAME PREVIEW
DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings are looking for their first three-game winning streak since October, while the Boston Bruins are searching for answers.
Detroit (19-19-6) hosts Boston (23-18-5) at Joe Louis Arena for an 8 p.m. game on Wednesday.
The Red Wings are coming off a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and a 1-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens two days later.
Rookie goalie Jared Coreau made 18 saves against Montreal for his second career shutout and Thomas Vanek scored the game's only goal. It was Vanek's team-leading 12th tally of the season.
"There's no question that we know where those teams are in the standings," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told www.mlive.com. "So when you're able to beat those teams -- and I think in a lot of ways outplay them -- you walk out and say, 'When we play the right way, we can be a pretty good hockey team.'
"Now, I think we know that but it certainly helps when you have results."
Captain Henrik Zetterberg said now Detroit has to keep it going against the Bruins.
"Boston comes in next game, so another tough opponent," he said. "We just got to keep doing these things and play well out there and then we have a chance of winning games."
The Bruins canceled practice to "regroup" after a 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders at home on Monday.
"We can look at our players and maybe it's not as good as it was," Boston coach Claude Julien told CBS Boston. "But it's still not as big a reason to lose games like you do at home -- it's unacceptable. Our teams are prepared the same way on the road as they are at home, so there's got to be something that's got to be better and we're certainly working on trying to make our team better at home. Because somehow, the preparation is the same but the results aren't the same."
Boston had just come off a 3-1-1 road trip.
"I still believe in this group. I never have not believed in this group," Julien said. "Having said that, I think they also understand there's work to be done and there are challenges ahead."
Boston snapped Detroit's six-game winning on Oct. 29, with a 1-0 win at Joe Louis Arena.
Tonight's Officials
Referees Garrett Rank (7), Steve Kozari (40)
Linesmen Derek Amell (75), Scott Cherrey (50)
Ntl. Anthem Karen Newman
WAYBACK MACHINE
BOSTON vs DETROIT, LIFETIME SERIES
The Bruins and Red Wings are meeting for the 594th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 244-251-95-3 record and 1,786-1770 scoring edge in those games.
The Bruins are 84-159-52-1 in their 296 road games of this lifetime series with Detroit holding a 984-747 scoring advantage in those contests.
The Bruins have won 8 of their last 9 games vs. the Red Wings, including a 1-0 victory in Detroit on 10/29 in the 1st game of this season’s series, with their lone loss in that span a 6-5 setback in Detroit on 2/14 of last season … They have won 4 of their last 5 visits
to Joe Louis Arena.
Fun Fact: Boston and Detroit currently have the top 2 faceoff proficiencies in the Eastern Conference with Detroit 3rd overall in the NHL at 53.2% & Boston 4th overall at 52.7%
TONIGHT’S GAME
The Red Wings host the Bruins tonight in the 2nd of 4 games between these teams, the 2nd of 2 games this season at Joe Louis Arena and Boston’s last regular season visit to JLA … The Bruins are 23-19-5 thus far this season with a 13-9-5 mark on the road …
They are 12-5-0 vs. Atlantic Division opponents and are 17-11-5 vs. Eastern Conference teams this season.
They are playing game 3 tonight of a stretch where they will play 5 of 7 games prior to the All-Star break on home ice (1-1-0) following a span when they faced 9 of their previous 11 games on the road (5-4-2).
The Bruins are wearing their third uniform system for the seventh of 15 games this season and they enter tonight’s game with a 2-4-0
mark in those sweaters.
MILESTONES APPROACHING
Ryan Spooner is 1 point shy of his 100th NHL point.
Jimmy Hayes is 2 points short of his 100th NHL point.
Dominic Moore is 3 goals shy of his 100th NHL goal.
INJURIES (122 total man-games lost)
Kevan Miller – Concussion suffered 1/14 vs PHI; Has missed 1 game
Colin Miller – Lower body suffered 1/10 at STL; Has missed 3 games
Matt Beleskey – Right knee; 6 wks from time of 12/3 injury; Has missed 22 games (IR)
https://link.nhl.com/static/gamenotes/public/20162017/[email protected]?1484716841000
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