Detroit Red Wings lose to Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, in preseason: Game thread recap
NHL preseason: Detroit Red Wings (4-2-0) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (3-1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday.
Where: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
TV: None.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1).
HOMECOMING KING: Red Wings' Jeff Petry will be huge for power play
Game notes: The Wings’ preseason gantlet — eight games in 12 days, including the current three-in-three stretch — is nearing its end, with just tonight and Saturday’s home-and-home with the Original Six rivals left to complete.
The Wings have mostly used their exhibition games to shuffle their third and fourth lines, as well as their power play groups. We know the first line will likely feature Dylan Larkin centering Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond, and the second line appears to be a combo of Andrew Copp centering Michael Rasmussen and David Perron, a group that thrived unexpectedly last season. Beyond that? The Wings have incumbent vets Robby Fabbri (recovering from a knee injury suffered late last season) and Joe Veleno (who had two goals on Tuesday night) to mis with trade acquisition Klim Kostin and free agents J.T. Compher, Christian Fischer and Daniel Sprong. Each has had his moments this preseason, giving hope once again that the Wings’ offense will go further than six-deep.
WEDNESDAY'S GAME: Daniel Sprong, Simon Edvinsson give Detroit Red Wings 2-1 preseason win over Penguins
The Leafs, meanwhile, have fewer questions, as the Atlantic Division runners-up chose mostly to run it back on the ice. (Not so much for the front office, where GM Kyle Dubas was let go by top exec and former Wing Brandan Shanahan, in favor of former Calgary GM Brad Treliving.) In addition to returning Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander and the undead cap hit of John Tavares, the Leafs brought in Max Domi (son of Norris Division legend Tie Domi), Matthew Knies (who starred last season at the University of Minnesota) and Tyler Bertuzzi (on a one-year deal that should provide some motivation, as though broken hands respond to such things). All that offensive talent may not play tonight — though the Leafs have had two days off since their last preseason game, a 5-4 OT loss to Montreal on Monday — but whoever gets tonight off should show up in Saturday’s exhibition finale at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
As noted, both teams have just one more preseason game remaining after this one. The Wings are then off until next Thursday, when they visit New Jersey to open the regular season against the Devils. The Leafs, meanwhile, have one fewer day off; they’ll open the 2023-24 season with a visit from the Canadiens on Wednesday.
Live updates
For updates from and around the rink, check it out on X.
Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?) @theford.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings lose to Toronto, 4-3, in preseason: Game thread recap
