When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Where: UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1; Red Wings radio affiliates).
• Box score
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Game notes: GM Steve Yzerman’s week of trades shipped out Tyler Bertuzzi, Filip Hronek, Oscar Sundqvist and Jakub Vrana and brought in, let’s see: first-, second-, fourth- and seventh-round picks in 2023, a first-round pick in 2024, a fifth-round pick in 2025. (At least the James van Riemsdyk rumors will fun while they lasted.) The new-look Wings — well, not that new of a look, actually, since none of those picks will be suiting up on Long Island today — are trying to snap a four-game skid; a fifth loss would give them their second-longest losing streak of the season, behind only the six-gamer from Dec. 8-19.
Their opponent, the Islanders, are what could have happened if the Wings had gone all-in on trades a few weeks ago; Hall of Fame Isles exec Lou Lamoriello packaged veteran Anthony Beauvillier, languishing prospect Aatu Raty (a perpetual source of vowels, if not goals) and a first-round pick — likely the pick the Wings will receive for Hronek, actually — for Vancouver captain Bo Horvat on Jan. 30. So far, so good: Horvat has five goals and three assists in his 12 games in blue and orange (and sometimes teal, when the Isles break out their Fisherman duds) and New York has gone 6-3-3 to climb into the East’s second wild-card berth with 70 points (though their 64 games played are the most of any team in the East).
The infusion of Horvat’s talent and leadership has probably played a role in the Isles’ picking up 15 points over 12 games, but so has a renewed devotion to defense; New York’s 2.67 goals allowed per game since the Horvat deal was sixth-best entering Friday’s action, behind only the Maple Leafs (2.55), Golden Knights (2.30), Hurricanes (2.30), Wild (2.14) and Bruins (1.91 and, uh, the Wings’ opponent twice next weekend. Gulp.). The bulk of the playing time in net has gone to 27-year-old Ilya Sorokin, who has a 2.35 GAA in eight games over that span while stopping 93.1% of the shots he has faced. Sorokin was also the winning goalie the last time the Wings and Islanders met; he stopped all 23 shots he faced on Jan. 27 at UBS Arena as the Isles beat the Wings. 2-0.
The Wings, meanwhile, are hoping somebody — anybody, really — can get hot and take some of the pressure off captain Dylan Larkin, who himself was busy during trade deadline week: He exchanged his signature for $69.6 million over the next eight seasons, which is just slightly more than anyone has offered for our scribbles, inked or otherwise. Larkin has been the top Wing over the past 10 games, with four goals and six assists. Just two other Wings have topped six points over that span, and one of those — Bertuzzi — is now a Bruin. (Come to think of it, that might actually bring Boston’s GAA back to the pack.) The other is Robby Fabbri, who has three goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
After today’s matinee, the Wings head south to Philly to take on the Flyers at 6 p.m. Sunday before getting a couple days to prepare for a visit from the suddenly Patrick Kane-less Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. The Islanders, meanwhile, have their Sunday and Monday off before hosting the Buffalo Sabres — another of the many, many teams battling for the East’s wild-card spots — on Tuesday.
Follow live updates from Thursday’s game below.
Red Wings fans: Listen to this week’s episode of the “Carlos and Shawn” podcast, embedded below. It features our Red Wings reporter Helene St. James, and examines the team’s recent losses and challenges during their playoff push. Catch “Carlos and Shawn” every Thursday morning at 5 and on demand on freep.com/podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings game score at New York Islanders: Time, TV
