Red Wings – Blackhawks Pregame Notes

It’s Chris Chelios Heritage Night in Chicago tonight but some say he’s been tainted by his time in Detroit. Personally, I love the fact that the Red Wings took a Chicago icon and turned him into one of our own. The Blackhawks can try to claim Bob Probert all they want, we still love him. We made them hate their hero.

The Red Wings sit atop the Central Division (and the Western Conference) while the Blackhawks are in the basement. Both teams are slumping a bit as of late, though slumping is relative. The Wings are 6-3-1 in their last ten but the three losses are of only seven total on the season. The Blackhawks are 5-4-1 over the same time period and have lost two in a row to the Colorado Avalanche.

Chicago will start backup goalie Corey Crawford. Jimmy Howard gets the start for Detroit after the Wings’ players convinced Mike Babcock to give Chris Osgood the start at home on Sunday, with the chance to get his 400th win in front of the Joe Louis Arena crowd.

Changing up the goalie schedule to accommodate a possible milestone worries me. Especially with how the Wings usually play on Sundays.

Drew Miller is back onto the Wings’ fourth line in place of Kris Draper.

Chicago will be without Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Victor Stralman.