Skidding Red Wings Visit a Blues Team Glad to Be Home
Detroit carries a three-game slide into St. Louis, where the Blues won the first meeting and may welcome back Logan Mailloux.
Written before the game
Two teams with identical recent records meet in St. Louis, but they have reached those results in different ways. Over their last 10 games, Detroit has been the team creating the better chances, while St. Louis has spent more nights defending than attacking.
The numbers back it up. The Red Wings have averaged 3.33 expected goals per game over that stretch, a measure of how many goals their chances were worth, while allowing 3.05. The Blues have generated 3.18 and given up 3.24. Detroit has also out-attempted opponents on average, 56.3 shot attempts to 54.1, while St. Louis has been out-attempted 59.6 to 55.1. Both teams have four wins in those 10 games.
That makes Detroit's three-game losing streak look like a scoring problem more than a sign the team is falling apart. Its chances have been decent, but the goals have not followed. Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond carry the attack.
The standings are tight. Detroit sits at 7-8-3 with 17 points, seventh among Eastern wildcard contenders. St. Louis is 7-8-2 with 16 points, seventh in the Western wildcard race, and has a 4-2-1 home record. The Blues won the first meeting 5-4 on October 31 and expect Logan Mailloux back on the blue line.
The matchup to watch: Detroit's steady chance creation against a Blues team that has been far more comfortable in its own building.
