The Banged up Detroit Redwings Try to Take a shot at the Conference leading Vancouver Canucks

Wagering: 1.888.238.8018 - 1.888.889.4313
Customer Service: 1.877.717.7747 - 1.888.889.4368

: 1.888.238.8198 - 1.888.889.4312
: 1.888.378.0888 - 1.888.889.4219

The Banged up Detroit Redwings Try to Take a shot at the Conference leading Vancouver Canucks

The Detroit redwings believe they still have a shot to catch Vancouver atop the Western Conference, but they have not been healthy enough to catch up. They will do their best to win this game and make the standings tighter, but may have a tough time with the injuries piling up.

The best online sportsbook to bet on the NHL is BetPhoenix. They offer great wagering opportunities on every game on the schedule.

Detroit must get healthy if they want to compete. Forwards Pavel Datsyuk (lower-body injury) and Johan Franzen (groin) have sat out the last two games, and Jiri Hudler (back, shoulder) has missed three in a row.

Vancouver also has an injury that will hurt the team. Manny Malhotra's left eye injury is so serious, it will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season and the entire playoffs, and there is concern that his vision could be permanently affected.

That was the grim news Monday, five days after Malhotra was hit in the eye and underwent emergency surgery. Malhotra, who does not wear a visor on his helmet, was struck near the eye by a deflected puck, leaving a trail of blood as he skated quickly off the ice holding his face.

Now the Canucks must figure out how to replace Malhotra, who was second in the NHL on faceoffs at 61.7 percent and the biggest part of the Canucks' penalty-killing jump from 18th in the league last season to No. 2 in the NHL this year. Malhotra, whose three-year, $7.5 million contract was originally ripped as an overpay, has also recorded 11 goals and 30 points in 72 games while playing a shutdown role against the other teams' top forwards and freeing up Kesler to focus more on offense. Far more valuable than his third-line center label, Malhotra also quickly assumed a leadership role.

After shaking up the forward lines, they managed decently for most of a 3-1 loss Phoenix on Friday, though it's interesting that the Coyotes scored twice on a five-minute major penalty to win the game. Things will only get tougher when a four-game road trip opens in Detroit on Wednesday and they no longer have the luxury of last change ... or Malhotra to take a key defensive zone faceoff.

The Canucks are 20-8 in their last 28 road games and the Red Wings are 1-4 in their last five games playing on 1 days’ rest.

The Canucks should be able to beat the Wings even without Malhotra in the lineup.

Play on the Canucks