Florida Panthers vs Detroit Red Wings Picks and Predictions January 16th 2025

Red Wings Look to Bounce Back Against Panthers

The Detroit Red Wings are surging under new coach Todd McLellan, but they’ll face a tough test on Thursday when they visit the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla.

Red Wings’ Resurgence Under McLellan

Since McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26, the Red Wings are 7-2-0 and have climbed back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. However, their momentum took a hit on Tuesday when they suffered a disappointing 6-3 home loss to the lowly San Jose Sharks.

“That was a disappointing night for our group,” McLellan said. “It’s a new experience for us in our few weeks here. I’m anxious to see if we respond.”

Detroit’s turnaround has been fueled by improved offense and more confidence, as star forward Patrick Kane noted.

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“He’s done an incredible job of changing things,” Kane said of McLellan. “He has upped the confidence in our room.”

Injury Concerns for Detroit

The Red Wings will be without forward Tyler Motte (upper-body injury), who left Tuesday’s game in the second period and won’t travel with the team. Detroit could, however, get goaltender Alex Lyon (8-5-0, 2.71 GAA, .902 SV%) back after he missed time with an upper-body injury.

Cam Talbot (10-9-2, 2.98 GAA, .903 SV%) could get the start, especially with Lyon just returning.

Detroit’s offense continues to be led by:

• Alex DeBrincat (team-high 19 goals)
• Lucas Raymond (team-best 29 assists and 47 points)
• Patrick Kane (10 goals, 17 assists in 38 games)

Panthers on the Prowl

Florida enters Thursday’s contest trailing first-place Toronto by just one point in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils, where backup goaltender Spencer Knight delivered a strong performance.

However, home ice hasn’t been a fortress for Florida this season, as the Panthers are just 12-8-2 in their own building.

One area Florida is looking to improve is its penalty kill. The Panthers successfully killed off both penalties against New Jersey, but in the five previous games, they had surrendered seven power-play goals.

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“Yeah, we talked a little bit about it,” forward Anton Lundell said. “We can’t win games from the penalty box.”

Key Players to Watch

• Sergei Bobrovsky (18-10-2, 2.78 GAA, .899 SV%) is expected to start in net for Florida.
• Sam Reinhart (27 goals, 51 points) is leading the team offensively.
• Aleksander Barkov (27 assists) continues to be a playmaking force.
• Matthew Tkachuk (40 points), Carter Verhaeghe (31 points), and Anton Lundell (28 points) provide depth scoring.

Florida is also hoping to get defenseman Aaron Ekblad back after he missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury.

The Matchup

Detroit has been rolling under McLellan but took a step back in their loss to San Jose. Florida, meanwhile, has been steady but vulnerable at home. With both teams eyeing playoff positioning, expect a fast-paced and physical battle in Sunrise.