It's an afternoon start for another Ohio team today, with the Blue Jackets set to take on the Red Wings in Detroit at 1:00PM Eastern time. Surely, this is the most important game any Ohio team will play in that state up north this month.
We'll just pretend that's true until someone says otherwise...
This will be the first matchup between these two teams since last season's Stadium Series game on March 1st, where the Blue Jackets stunned the Red Wings with a late go-ahead goal from Justin Danforth. Ultimately, the home team won 5-3, much to the delight of the 94,000+ people in attendance.
Both teams wound up missing the playoffs last year, which means they find themselves in similar situations this season. They want to take that next step and play postseason games next spring. So, this game is an important one early in this season.
The Opponent
The Red Wings will enter this one in a bit of a foul mood. Their last game was a 5-0 loss to the New York Islanders on home ice Thursday night; a game that snapped a brief 2-game winning streak.
Still, they are off to a pretty solid start, with a 12-8-1 record (25 points). That's good enough for second in the Atlantic Division at the quarter mark of the season. From a broad perspective, they are in good shape.
The Wings are led in scoring by their captain, Dylan Larkin, who has 24 points (12 goals) in 21 games. They are a somewhat top-heavy team, with Alex DeBrincat (9-14-23) and Lucas Raymond (6-16-22) each carrying a ton of weight as well.
Then, it's a big drop off - the next closest player is defenseman Moritz Seider, who has 12 points. You can see what the task will be for the Blue Jackets today: shutting down that top line. Also, we can't overlook career Jacket killer Patrick Kane, who always seems to find a way to score against us.
Kane has 28 goals and 86 points in 64 career games against Columbus. He's scored more against the Jackets than any other team he's faced.
Overall, Detroit is 24th in the league in goals scored (60), while giving up the 11th most (67). In a lot of ways, they are similar to the Blue Jackets: top heavy, struggling on defense. And, with a goaltending rotation.
John Gibson (12GP) and Cam Talbot (11GP) have an almost even split, with neither guy fully grabbing the starting job yet. These two teams are going to go head to head as if they are playing a mirror image of themselves.
The Good Guys
The Jackets pulled off a win in Toronto on Thursday night, thanks to Adam Fantilli's complete takeover. That felt like the game we've been waiting for from #19, but the rest of the team again struggled for long stretches.
They still aren't getting enough (anything) out of their second line offensively, and the fourth line continues to rotate bodies in and out of the lineup as Dean Evason searches for the right combinations.
Yesterday, the team sent center Luca del bel Belluz back to the Cleveland Monsters, replacing him with Brendan Gaunce on the roster. So, there will be at least one lineup change; and it looks like Zach Aston-Reese slots in today.
#CBJ on the ice in Detroit, with a matinee on tap tomorrow against the Red Wings. No changes to the lines other than the fourth, with Del Bel Belluz loaned to Cleveland. Zach Aston-Reese skating with Yegor Chinakhov and Isac Lundeström. pic.twitter.com/e30Hp1nXUt
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) November 21, 2025
The only other position we're watching for is who will start in goal. Jet Greaves was outstanding on Thursday night, while Elvis Merzlikins struggled in his last start. Is this the time we see this team start making the transition to a full-time starter?
Three Keys to Success
1. Wake up. Afternoon games can be tough, especially when you don't play them that often. This is the first early start for the Blue Jackets this year, so it's important that they come to the rink ready to play.
2. Shut down that top line. The Red Wings live and die with their top line generating offense. With the last change, I'm sure they will be looking to take advantage of the third defense pairing for the CBJ. They have to find a way to shut down that line if they are going to win today.
3. Shoot! The Wings are 26th in the NHL in team save percentage (.879%). Shoot early and often, then follow up with second and third chances.
Puck drop is scheduled for 1:00 from Detroit. You can catch this one via Fan Duel Sports Network if you're in area, or NHL Network if you live out of the area and somehow subscribe. Or, tune in via NHL Radio and listen to Bobby Mac. Go Jackets!