Red Wings host Sharks in bid for season sweep
The Detroit Red Wings face the San Jose Sharks on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena, seeking to complete a season series sweep after defeating San Jose 3-2 in a shootout on November 2.
Detroit enters the matchup with a 28-16-4 record, sitting second in the Atlantic Division with 60 points. The Red Wings are coming off a 3-0 shutout loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, which snapped a three-game winning streak. Coach Todd McLellan has made roster adjustments in response, reuniting Lucas Raymond with captain Dylan Larkin on the first line alongside James van Riemsdyk, who has been on a scoring tear.
Sharks riding momentum
San Jose arrives in Detroit with a 24-19-3 record and has won seven of its past nine games. The Sharks earned a 3-2 road victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday, with Collin Graf and Pavol Regenda each recording a goal and an assist. Despite being outshot 14-3 in the third period, goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves to secure the win.
“We’re winning in different ways, in a sense, and I think that’s what good teams do,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Some of the younger guys are learning some lessons of how hard this league is to play for 60 minutes.”
Key matchup statistics
Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks with 24 goals and 47 assists for 71 points, while Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat has recorded 24 goals and 25 assists for 49 points. The Red Wings average 3.02 goals per game with a 3.00 goals-against average, while San Jose averages 3.09 goals for and 3.49 goals against.
Gibson is expected to defend the home crease for Detroit, while the Sharks will rely on their road performance that has kept them competitive in the Pacific Division standings. The game broadcasts on NHL networks, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
