Red Wings Face Tough Road Test Against Oilers’ Star Duo

DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings, riding a wave of momentum after three consecutive home wins, are set to embark on a challenging four-game road trip, beginning Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. The Red Wings (24-21-5) hope to improve upon their 1-2-1 record from their last road trip, which took place earlier this month.

Head coach Todd McLellan, who previously coached the Oilers, emphasized the importance of starting the trip strong. “There isn’t an easy road trip,” McLellan said. “Everybody made a lot of the last one and the gauntlet we went through, and we’re doing it again. I don’t like to think about the whole, I just want to look forward to practice and let’s get to Edmonton.”

The Red Wings will face one of the NHL’s most formidable offensive duos in Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid, who recently returned from injury, and Draisaitl, who leads the league with 35 goals, pose a significant challenge for Detroit’s defense. McLellan compared the duo to former Vancouver Canucks stars Henrik and Daniel Sedin, noting their complementary playing styles. “The two of them are elite separately and they’re super elite together,” McLellan said. “They play a completely different game. One fast, one slows it down with passing and vision.”

Detroit’s recent success under McLellan, who took over as head coach just over a month ago, has been fueled by a renewed sense of belief in the locker room. Since McLellan’s arrival, the team has gone 11-4-1, climbing back into playoff contention. Center Andrew Copp attributed the turnaround to the team’s intensity in practice and their ability to translate that into wins. “We had a couple bad games; it’s going to happen,” Copp said. “We’ve been playing really good since Christmas, and I think it’s a really important trip to gain a little bit more momentum going into the break.”

Despite the optimism, the Red Wings will be without key players for Thursday’s game. Winger Patrick Kane, who recently skated with the team but remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, will not be available. Forward J.T. Compher‘s status is also uncertain, while defenseman Jeff Petry will miss the trip entirely due to injury. However, forward Vladimir Tarasenko is expected to return to the lineup after recovering from an illness.

The Red Wings and Oilers both enter the matchup on three-game winning streaks, setting the stage for a highly competitive contest. Detroit will need to rely on strong goaltending, disciplined play, and extended offensive possession to neutralize McDavid and Draisaitl’s impact. The game is scheduled for 9 p.m. Thursday at Rogers Place in Edmonton and will be broadcast on FSN and 97.1 FM.