Red Wings at Kraken | March 19

One: 'Who Wants to Be Here'

He paused, clearly not there to make excuses.
"At the end of the day, we're still trying to build. We've got 20 games to see who wants to be here."
How does Eberle determine "who wants to be here?"
"For me, it's compete level, winning battles, little plays on the walls, holding on to the puck," said Eberle. "We still expect to get better as a team and get better individually.
"You have to find something to motivate yourself whether it's statistics or a contract. Whatever it is, find something to motivate yourself...and bring that. That's going to help your teammates.
In what could be a guide to snaring a win Saturday, Eberle suggested, "we have to find a better way to execute...we're missing passes, getting beat on foot pucks, we have to find a way to get in front of bodies and help each other out."

Two: Focus on Kraken: Who Dresses

Going into Saturday's morning skate, Dave Hakstol was clear that Mark Giordano won't play against the Red Wings. Less certain is whether center Alexander Wennberg (day-to-day upper body injury) or winger/penalty killer Joonas Donskoi (injured reserve, upper body) will be in the lineup. Whatever the outcome, there are opportunities for younger players, especially defensemen to get extended ice time. Plus, it's reasonable to think the Kraken front office might be looking at additional trades beyond Giordano.

Three: Know the Foe: Detroit Red Wings (25-29-7, fifth palace, Atlantic Division)

Detroit GM Steve Yzerman continues his handiwork building a winner with the franchise for which he starred and earned Hockey Hall of Fame induction, along with three Stanley Cups. Like fellow Hall of Famer and long-time captain Ron Francis with Carolina, Yzerman comes to the job as foundational architect of another elite NHL team, Tampa Bay.
Yzerman's Red Wings roster just snapped a six-game losing streak via a 1-0 shutout in Vancouver Thursday night. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, acquired in a trade over the summer, made 43 saves in one of his best performances of the year. The Cleveland area-born Nedeljkovic was drafted by Carolina when Francis was GM. He finished third in the Calder rookie-of-the-year voting last season, posting a .936 save percentage in the regular season and .920 in the playoffs.
While 25-year-old captain Dylan Larkin leads DET in scoring with 27 goals and 31 assists, forward Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider are players to watch as examples of what Kraken high-round draft choices can bring to scoring production at young ages. Raymond, 19, has 19 goals and 27 assists in 61 games. Seider, 20, has notched five goals and a team-high 37 assists, the latter top 10 among all NHL defenseman.