Red Wings vs. Blue Jackets Odds
| Red Wings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +170 | 7 +120 / -142 | -135 |
| Blue Jackets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -205 | 7 +120 / -142 | +114 |
Two Eastern Conference teams looking to make a move up the standings this season will get a chance to chase two points at Nationwide Arena on Monday, when the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings as part of a five-game NHL slate.
Columbus and Detroit finished 31st and 24th, respectively, in league standings last season. Obviously, there is plenty of room for improvement for both squads.
Derek Lalonde is in his second year behind the bench in Detroit, while Pascal Vincent has moved up from an assistant's role to take the reins in Columbus.
Both sides have split their first two games. Here's how that happened, and the latest on both teams ahead of Monday's game:
Red Wings
The Red Wings opened their season with a hard-fought 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils last Thursday, then took down the Tampa Bay Lightning by a 6-4 score at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.
In the early going, it looks like Steve Yzerman's attempts to boost his team's offensive firepower are paying dividends. Alex DeBrincat is showing good chemistry with Dylan Larkin on the top line and top power-play unit. He has three goals, while J.T. Compher has posted three points on a new-look line with Klim Kostin and Daniel Sprong, who also has two goals.
The Red Wings have drawn just five power plays in two games but have connected twice, giving them an early success rate of 40% with the man advantage. They're also doing an impressive job at 5-on-5, controlling just over 56% of expected goals.
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Two games into the season, hard-luck Robby Fabbri is back on the injured list with an undisclosed issue. The Wings recalled Zach Aston-Reese for Saturday's game and went with an 11-and-7 lineup. On Sunday, they recalled Austin Czarnik and sent Aston-Reese down to AHL Grand Rapids.
Ville Husso has been in net for the first two games, and while seven total goals against isn't a disaster, the Wings have done a good job of limiting opportunities, giving up just 51 total shots. Husso is out of the gate with an .863 save percentage and minus-0.8 goals saved above expected.
The Red Wings are going into a four-game week that includes back-to-back contests on Saturday and Sunday. Monday's game against Columbus might be a good time to get James Reimer his first start with his new team. The 35-year-old was outstanding in preseason, posting a 1.50 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in three appearances.
Blue Jackets
After a tumultuous start to training camp, when Vincent was installed as head coach following Mike Babcock's abrupt resignation, the Blue Jackets are opening their season with a four-game homestand. In Thursday's opener, they lost, 4-2, to the Philadelphia Flyers, then beat the New York Rangers, 5-3, on Saturday.
Elvis Merzlikins recorded both wins and is already up to 2.3 goals saved above expected. But he was replaced by backup Spencer Martin in the third period on Saturday, and Vincent reported Sunday that Merzlikins is dealing with a stomach bug. His status for Monday's game is uncertain.
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Offensively, Columbus was fueled by a hat trick from captain Boone Jenner against the Rangers. And after being an all-goals guy last year, Kirill Marchenko has started this season with three assists while playing on the right with wing Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau.
After finishing 30th overall with an average of just 2.6 goals per game last season, the Blue Jackets have lit the lamp seven times in their first two games. Their penalty kill, at 83.3%, is also strong.
Look under the hood, though, and it appears they still have some work to do. They've controlled just 38% of expected goals at 5-on-5 through their first two games, ranking them 29th in the league.
In addition to Merlikins' illness, the Blue Jackets are also dealing with a significant injury. After missing 69 games last season, top defenseman Zach Werenski was knocked out of the opener after a knee-on-knee hit by Philadelphia's Garnet Hathaway, which earned Hathaway a maximum fine. Werenski is officially sidelined for 1-2 weeks with a quad contusion.
Red Wings vs. Blue Jackets
Betting Pick & Prediction
In the early going, the oddsmakers handicapped this game pretty evenly. The line has since moved in the Red Wings' favor following the news that Merzlikins may not be fit to play for Columbus.
That tracks — and if you act quickly, you may be able to grab Detroit on the moneyline at slightly better than -120.
And while it's always risky to make judgments based on small sample sizes, the difference in the two teams' possession numbers suggests that Detroit should have a significant edge on Monday night. For a better potential return, consider a regulation win for the Red Wings at +125 on FanDuel.
The Pick: Red Wings 60-minute moneyline (+125 on FanDuel — play to +110)
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