Motte had been practicing with the team over the last couple of days but will miss his seventh straight game on Sunday. Head coach Derek Lalonde said that Motte "will need some more time." Jonatan Berggren, who was trending toward being a healthy scratch, will remain in the lineup vs. the Sabres.
Tarasenko was battling the flu and did not play on Wednesday, but will return to the lineup of Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 32-year-old Tarasenko is off to a slow start in his inaugural season with the Red Wings, scoring only three points (2G / 1A) in his first nine games.
The Red Wings have been wildly inconsistent to start the 2024-25 season, heavily relying on their goaltenders, with a 4-5-1 record. Talbot will get the start in the crease on Saturday and has been equally inconsistent, a byproduct of porous team play, posting a 3.16 GAA and .913 SV% in five appearances (2-1-1). The Red Wings, with Alex Lyon between the pipes, were defeated 5-3 by the Buffalo Sabres one week ago.
Motte has missed the last six games due to an upper-body injury but could be an option to return to the lineup on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. Through four games this season, Motte has zero points, eight shots, and six hits.
Watson played his second game of the season on Wednesday, filling in for Vladimir Tarasenko (illness), playing 9:06 time-on-ice, recording four hits and a -1 plus/minus. Watson had a one-game stint with the Red Wings earlier this season but has spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, scoring six points (0G / 6A) in seven games with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Watson will enter the lineup in place of Vladimir Tarasenko, who is out with an illness. Watson has appeared in just one game this season, registering a -1 rating and two penalty minutes in under five minutes of ice time.
Tarasenko is battling the flu and his status for Wednesday's game against the Winnipeg Jets was up in the air as a result. The 32-year-old Tarasenko is off to a slow start in his inaugural season with the Red Wings, scoring only three points (2G / 1A) in his first nine games.
Watson had a one-game stint with the Red Wings earlier this season but has spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, scoring six points (0G / 6A) in seven games with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 32-year-old Watson had 118 points (60G / 58A) in 516 career NHL games and could draw into the Red Wings lineup on Wednesday if Vladimir Tarasenko (illness) is not able to play.
Tarasenko is battling the flu and his status for Wednesday's game against the Winnipeg Jets is uncertain. The 32-year-old Tarasenko is off to a slow start in his inaugural season with the Red Wings, scoring only three points (2G / 1A) in his first nine games.
Albert Johansson will remain in the Red Wings lineup on Wednesday, resulting in Gustafsson being a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. The 32-year-old Gustafsson is averaging 16:19 time-on-ice through six games with the Red Wings, recording two assists and a -2 plus/minus.
As was the case on Sunday, Johansson will remain in the Red Wings lineup in favor of Erik Gustafsson. Johansson played 15:06 time-on-ice in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, recording a -1 plus/minus and two hits.
The Red Wings rank fifth-worst in the league in terms of xGA/60 but their goaltending has kept them afloat at times, most notably when Lyon has been between the pipes. The 31-year-old Lyon is boasting a sensational 2.05 GAA and .940 SV% through five outings (2-2-0). That said, the Red Wings have lost two straight, outscored 8-5, and rank sixth-worth in the league offensively with only 25 goals in nine games. The Red Wings will face off against a Winnipeg Jets club that lost their first game of the season on Monday (8-1-0).
The Red Wings rank fifth-worst in the league in terms of xGA/60 but their goaltending has kept them afloat at times, most notably when Lyon has been between the pipes. The 31-year-old Lyon is boasting a sensational 2.05 GAA and .940 SV% through five outings (2-2-0). That said, the Red Wings have lost two straight, outscored 8-5, and rank sixth-worth in the league offensively with only 25 goals in nine games. The Red Wings will face off against a Winnipeg Jets club that lost their first game of the season on Monday (8-1-0).
The Red Wings' three-game winning streak was snapped on Saturday, and the team will turn to Talbot in the crease against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday for the tail end of their back-to-back. Talbot has been wildly inconsistent through three starts this season (2-1-0), including a 42-save shutout and allowing five goals on 19 shots (.737 SV%). The Red Wings enter the action on Sunday as +220 home underdogs.
Compher did not play in Thursday's 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils but could be an option on Saturday afternoon against the Buffalo Sabres. The 29-year-old Compher has four points (2G / 2A) and a +2 plus/minus through six games this season.
After being outscored 15-8 in their first four games (1-3-0), the Red Wings have eased into some stability, outscoring their opposition 11-5 during a three-game winning streak. The Red Wings will turn Lyon between the pipes on Saturday for his third start in their last four contests. The 31-year-old Lyon has been stellar to start the 2024-25 campaign, boasting a tremendous 1.46 GAA and .955 SV% in four appearances (2-1-0).
