GDT: Centennial Season ; Episode 4 - Panthers in The Cougar's Den

[LeftWinger 5,179]

Cougars, get it?

Where: Little Caesars Arena

When: 7 p.m.

TV/Radio: TNT, HBO Max/97.1 FM

Odds: Florida (-1.5, +175), Detroit (+1.5,-225) ESPNBet

The exciting showdown between the Panthers and Red Wings is set to unfold tonight, as both teams surge forward with remarkable momentum.

Detroit, currently standing at 2-1, has just celebrated back-to-back victories over the Maple Leafs, led by the dazzling performances of Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, each with 4 points to their names, establishing themselves as early-season heroes.

In net, Goalie Cam Talbot has demonstrated his skill with an impressive 38-save victory on Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. As he kicks off the 2025-26 season, Talbot boasts a perfect record of 2-0, with a 2.11 GAA and a stellar .925 save percentage. Captain Dylan Larkin has also made his mark, netting two goals and one assist in his first three games, while maintaining a plus-3 rating and winning 58% of his faceoffs. Averaging 19:38 minutes of ice time per game, Larkin’s presence is invaluable, particularly after taking two penalties during a tightly contested win against the Maple Leafs—the Red Wings count on him in critical moments.

In a troubling turn of events, Lucas Raymond suffered an upper-body injury on Monday during Detroit’s 3-2 triumph over the Maple Leafs. His status is currently day-to-day, following a collision with Toronto defenseman Chris Tanev, which saw him crash shoulder-first into the boards. The thrilling victory came thanks to former Michigan State forward Mason Appleton, who clinched the game-winning goal with less than a minute left in regulation.

Despite having struggled with the NHL's worst penalty kill last season, the Red Wings have shown promise, currently ranking 13th with an efficiency rate of 85.7%. Their power play shines at eighth in the league, operating at 25% effectiveness. Rookies Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Emmitt Finnie lead the team in physicality, registering nine and eight hits, respectively.

In his long-awaited debut with the Red Wings, offseason free agent signee James van Riemsdyk made an instant impact, playing 10:09 in his first game and scoring on his very first shot. Positioned on the fourth line, van Riemsdyk could potentially secure a spot in the top six if Raymond's absence extends for any significant duration. The stage is set for an exhilarating matchup as both the Panthers and Red Wings prepare to clash on the ice.

 

Detroit Projected Lines

Emmitt Finnie — Dylan Larkin — Mason Appleton

Patrick Kane — Marco Kasper — Alex DeBrincat

Andrew Copp — J.T. Compher — Michael Brandsegg-Nygard

James van Riemsdyk — Michael Rasmussen — Elmer Soderblom

Defense Pairings

Ben Chiarot — Moritz Seider

Simon Edvinsson — Axel Sandin-Pellikka

Albert Johansson — Jacob Bernard-Docker

Goalie

Cam Talbot (John Gibson is backup)

[kipwinger 8,807]

Good work on the GDT Leftie, well done. Curious to see what the lineup looks like tonight. Not sure I love the idea of Mason Appleton on the first line but I’m pretty positive McLellan knows better than I do.

[kipwinger 8,807]

Really good 2nd period there from the boys. The first was pretty ugly but look like we tightened things up in the 2nd. Especially the sloppy turnovers by the defense corps. 

[LeftWinger 5,179]

Next two games... Geez, it doesn't get any easier does  it!?!?

12 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

Really good 2nd period there from the boys. The first was pretty ugly but look like we tightened things up in the 2nd. Especially the sloppy turnovers by the defense corps. 

Florida got some momentum, lets hope Detroit can tilt the ice back the other way in the 3rd!

[kipwinger 8,807]

That was an exceptional win last night. You don’t blow out the Panthers. Any win against them is going to be a grind, and that’s exactly what we did. The defense turned the puck over a lot in the first period and they need to clean that up, but they got better after that and we won the 2nd and 3rd. Finnie and MBN were quite good. At some point this season I’d like to see them with Kasper and Dcat with Larkin and Raymond. Maybe give Kane a bit of a break at 5on5 during the middle of the season. I also thought Ras/JVR/Sodorblom were really good last night as well. Had some really excellent shifts in the offensive zone and controlled the puck. I’m really liking this team so far, even with the obvious issues on the blue line. 

Edited October 16 by kipwinger