The NHL regular season is nearing to a close after the lockout shortened up the schedule and while both Vancouver and Detroit would like to win on Saturday night, the Red Wings needs the victory much more than the Canucks do, as they are chasing the final playoff spot in the Western Conference while their opponents are close to being division winners.
Detroit is just two points behind the final playoff spot in the West as the season gets closer to the playoffs and after having it earlier last week, the team has lost four times in five games and could be in danger of missing the postseason without earning at least one point on Saturday in Canada. The team was in fifth at one point but has gone just 3-5-2 since and is now in the 10th place in the conference. The Red Wings have played well against the Canucks this season and they will need to do that again on Saturday if they are serious about making a push for the playoffs.
The Red Wings have five games left in the season and could end up missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1990 season. Detroit has won two straight against the Canucks and has left the game with at least one point in 21 of the past 28 games and they need the same result on Wednesday. The team will rely on Henrik Zetterberg, who has earned five points against Vancouver this season, as well as Pavel Datsyuk, who is leading the team in scoring.
The Canucks are on the verge of winning their division for the fifth straight season and have a four point advantage over the Wild with just over a week remaining in the season and currently have lost three of for after going 10-2-0 over a 12 game span. Roberto Luongo has been valuable for the Canucks despite dealing with trade talk all season and he could be a big part going forward along with the play of Cory Schneider, who has started two straight games, including a 5-1 loss on Thursday against the Stars.
The Canucks are 14th in the league in scoring and sixth in goals against, while Henrik Sedin is leading the team in points. The team is ranked eighth in penalty kill percentage, but has struggled on the power play, ranking 26th with a 14.8 percentage. The Red Wings rank 23rd in the league in scoring and 11th in goals against, while the team ranks 16th in power play percentage and 20th in penalty kill percentage with 80.7 percent.