Pregame: Red Wings @ Predators – 12/30

The Red Wings visit the Nashville Predators tonight in their last game before the Winter Classic on Wednesday, and they’re getting healthy just in time.

Jimmy Howard will get the start in goal, returning from a knee injury. Petr Mrazek will be his backup as Jonas Gustavsson has a sore groin. Assuming Howard makes it through the game healthy, he’s slated to start at Michigan Stadium.

Darren Helm will also return, which was all but assured yesterday when Luke Glendening was sent down to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Johan Franzen remains sidelined with concussion symptoms, meaning today’s lineup is likely what we’ll see on Wednesday.

From Helene St. James, the forward lines will be as follows:

Bertuzzi – Datsyuk – Tatar
Nyquist – Zetterberg – Alfredsson
Abdelkader – Helm – Jurco
Miller – Andersson – Cleary

That leaves Eaves and Samuelsson as the healthy scratches. Poor Eaves, not demoted to GR in time for tonight’s game at Comerica Park and not expected to play at Michigan Stadium either.

Speaking of tonight’s Griffins game, that’s where I’ll be so I don’t know how much of the Wings game I’ll catch. Griffins start at 5:00 so theoretically I can get home for most of the Wings game but we’ll see.

Stupid fact of the day: The Red Wings visit the Predators in their last game before the Winter Classic. In the original 2012-13 schedule, they would have hosted the Predators in the first game after the Winter Classic.

Game time is 8:00 on FSD.