Tip: St. Louis Blues host a weary and injury-ridden Detroit Red Wings

Last night's defeat marked the third consecutive loss for Detroit, who, before last night's defeat against Dallas Stars, also suffered defeats by San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators. It doesn't help either that the team is plagued by significant setbacks. They face a St. Louis Blues in poor form, which, unlike the visiting team, is at least injury-free and has had more rest before the game, something that could tip the scales.

Heavy Injury Situation in Detroit Red Wings

Ahead of last night's game, several key players were missing for Detroit: Captain Dylan Larkin, J.T. Compher, Klim Kostin, and David Perron. The loss of Dylan Larkin and J.T. Compher, in particular, are significant blows to Detroit's offense. Larkin leads the team's internal scoring alongside Alex Debrincat, and not far behind is the successful new acquisition J.T. Compher with 19 points in 24 games. David Perron has also contributed significantly with his experience and offensive skills this season (7 goals + 6 assists). In short, there's a lot of sharpness and leadership missing from the team as they take on the St. Louis Blues.

Due to all the injuries, Red Wings have had to make significant changes in their lines. The addition of the experienced Patrick Kane continues to be a welcome boost for the offense, but it hardly helps their already somewhat shaky defense. The team has had a tendency to lose several games this season where they've had substantial leads. Another example was the game against San Jose, where Red Wings blew a 4-0 lead to 4-4 in five minutes in the second period, only to then lose in overtime. The defense doesn't inspire confidence, and the goalie duo is at best mediocre. Against Dallas, James Reimer was in goal, and it's likely we'll see Ville Husso rotated in. It's his first game since the San Jose match, which he can hardly be pleased with. Husso has not had a good season so far, as evidenced by his -5.6 in Goals Saved Above Expected (Moneypuck).

Good Opportunity for Blues to Reverse Negative Trend

St. Louis Blues is not a team I usually praise, and I won't start now either. They do have decent forward depth and can still play attractive attacking hockey at their best. It's mainly been Robert Thomas and his line-mate Pavel Buchnevich leading the way offensively with 27 and 20 points respectively this season. But behind the duo, there's creativity and experience, especially in Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn, and Kevin Hayes. I should add that I didn't think Blues would make the playoffs at the start of the season, and I still believe they are a bit too thin for it, but a win against Detroit keeps them in the playoff hunt, and they could hardly get a better opportunity to give Detroit a hard time.

While Detroit has had some uncertainties among the goalies, there's no doubt that Jordan Binnington holds the first spot for Blues. The Canadian has looked good this season, and when he's in the zone, he's hard to beat. He's also a major reason for Blues' successes, with +10.0 Goals Saved Above Expected (Moneypuck) showing that he's been in the zone often this season. Unlike Detroit, St. Louis has no injuries to key players.

Betting Tips and Conclusion

Detroit is in a precarious situation. Several key players are missing for the game against St. Louis Blues, and after last night's game, they risk being tired and worn-out players facing a rested Blues. The home team has an excellent chance to turn the negative trend around. They come into the game without injuries and with three days' rest after the game against Chicago Blackhawks, it's a rested team that can ramp up the tempo against an injury-ridden and weary Detroit Red Wings. Additionally, St. Louis has no game the following night, so I expect Jordan Binnington to be in goal for this match, another plus.

The betting tip is St. Louis Blues FT @ +130 with Unibet!