Red Wings gameday preview: Canucks in town are Red Wings look to be red hot

Tonight in Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Red Wings continue their quest for dominance in the Eastern Conference.

They'll be facing off against the Vancouver Canucks, who will continue their road trip with a stop in Hockeytown.

The Red Wings have come off a victory against their Atlantic Division foes, the Ottawa Senators, 5-3, after Todd McLellan's gutsy demotion of Lucas Raymond, and the elevation of Elmer Soderblom and Marco Kasper.

The Red Wings are 8-3-1 in their last 12 games, with a 25-15-4 record, and 2nd in the Atlantic Division.

Lucas Raymond leads the Detroit Red Wings in points with 45 this season, and Alex DeBrincat is second-most with 43. DeBrincat has tied Captain Dylan Larkin in goals with 22.

Fans should expect the Red Wings to utilize the man-advantage when possible to assert their will over the Canucks, with a 24.6% power play percentage, sixth in the NHL. Out of 43 points scored by DeBrincat, 10 of those have come on the power play.

Defenseman Moritz Seider leads the way on the blueline, scoring 31 points in 44 games, and playing 25:12 minutes.

Forward John Leonard, a recall from the AHL, to continue to make an impact. He'll continue his second stint in the NHL with the Red Wings on the fourth line.

Soon after recalling Leonard, the team sent Nate Danielson to the Grand Rapids Griffins after his struggles in the NHL continued longer than they had hoped. Todd McLellan and the team revealed the real reason why Danielson was sent down to the AHL on Sunday.

In the net, John Gibson, who arrived in trade from the Anaheim Ducks this postseason, has played a total of 25 games this season with a 14-9-1 record with a 2.94 goals-against average, and a .896 save percentage.

Veteran Cam Talbot has played 19 out of the Red Wings' 44 games, with a record 11-6-3, 2.99 GAA, and a .888 save percentage.

The Canucks should arrive hungry for a win in Little Caesars Arena and will have Kiefer Sherwood in tow, a desirable trade target for NHL teams.

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