Here's what Detroit Red Wings' lineup looks like for last home game with playoffs at stake
The Detroit Red Wings play their final home game of the regular season tonight, and with just one more game on the docket after this, they need at least a point to stay in the playoff race.
Alex Lyon will get the start, and there's a chance Andrew Copp may be back. The Wings host the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. (Bally Sports Detroit) and then will make the quick turnaround to face Montreal on the road on Tuesday.
Coach Derek Lalonde explained after the morning skate why Lyon got the call over James Reimer. Reimer came up big in the third period Saturday in Toronto, helping the Wings to a 5-4 victory in overtime over the Maple Leafs, but Lyon was crucial to the Wings' last victory at Little Caesars Arena, when he essentially won them the April 7 game against the Buffalo Sabres.
"We kind of wanted to see how things played out the other day," Lalonde said. "And Alex has shown to respond pretty well with a little reset, and those resets have been James Reimer starts. So it will be Alex Lyon tonight, and we'll go from there."
Copp will take warmups, and then there'll be made a decision on whether he feels well enough to play. He suffered in the April 9 game against the Washington Capitals. "He's still not completely comfortable," Lalonde said. "Still dealing with swelling, but he's going to take warmups and we'll get a feel from there."
It would be huge if he's able to play, because Copp is a solid 200-foot player, and he would strengthen the Wings' ability to field a checking line. Michael Rasmussen remains sidelined by an upper-body injury he suffered April 1.
If Copp is unavailable, the Wings will go with the same group that has led to points being banked in three of the last four games (2-1-1).
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Projected Red Wings lines vs. Montreal
Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond
David Perron – J.T. Compher – Patrick Kane
Robby Fabbri – Joe Veleno –Christian Fischer
Zach Aston-Reese – Austin Czarnik – Daniel Sprong
If Copp enters the lineup, he would center Fischer and Veleno, and Fabbri would play with Czarnik and Sprong.
Defense pairings
Ben Chiarot – Moritz Seider
Simon Edvinsson – Jeff Petry
Olli Määttä – Shayne Gostisbehere
The Wings (39-32-9, 87 points) need at least a point because the Washington Capitals, who play the Boston Bruins tonight, also have 87 points. If the Wings lose in regulation, the maximum points they can reach is 89, if they win Tuesday when they play the Canadiens in Montreal. But the Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers (who also have 87 points) play each other Tuesday, so one of them will reach at least 89 points - and both have the first tie-breaker on Detroit: The Wings have 27 regulation victories, while the Capitals and Flyers both sit at 30.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lineup: Detroit Red Wings lean on Alex Lyon in final race for playoffs
