Tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Columbus Blue Jackets (2-2-0) and Detroit Red Wings (4-2-0) faceoff live from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The game can be live streamed here. Columbus fans can hear all the action by turning their dials to Sportsradio 97.1 The Fan while Detroit fans can do the same on 97.1 The Ticket.
In the first of three meetings between the Eastern Conference's newest teams this season, Columbus is playing in the first contest of a three-game road trip while Detroit is playing the second game of a back-to-back after defeating the Boston Bruins Monday on the road.
Columbus enters the game looking to bounce back from a 3-1 home loss at the hands of those same Bruins on Saturday.
"For the most part I thought we played a pretty good game," Columbus center Derek MacKenzie said to NHL.com. "We could have been a little better as far as our reaction to that lucky first goal. I don't think anyone expected to shut out Boston so whether it was a good goal or bad goal we should have assumed they were going to score somewhere along the line."
Columbus has been paced by Marian Gaborik through its first four games, as he has a team-high six points stemming from two goals and four assists thus far this season.
Detroit comes into the contest looking for its third straight win after Henrik Zetterberg, Stephen Weiss and Daniel Cleary all scored in the team's 3-2 win Monday against Boston and backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson notched a win in his first start of the season.
"In the end it was a real good start for us and for [Gustavsson] because he gets confidence and we need to get 20 games, or 20-plus games, out of him," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said via NHL.com. "If he feels good about [himself] and our team feels good about him, he can play more and it keeps [Jimmy Howard] fresh."
Gustavsson stopped 28 of 30 shots in the win, but will most likely make way for Howard tonight as the incumbent starter has a 3-2-0 record with a 2.39 GAA and a .932 save percentage so far this season.
Goaltending is a huge story for Columbus as it boasts reigning Vezina Trophy winning backstop Sergei Bobrovsky, who has a 2-2-0 record with a 2.21 GAA and a .926 save percentage.
Zetterberg has led the Red Wings in goals (5) and points (7) while adding on two assists and Pavel Datsyuk is close behind in points with six off of two goals and four assists.
The Blue Jackets will look to start out strong on this road trip while the Red Wings will try to win two games in as many days when the puck drops at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit tonight.
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