PREVIEW: Red Wings continue final regular-season homestand with huge Eastern Conference showdown versus Flyers on Thursday

DETROIT -- Going to try to do everything they can to keep their 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff hopes alive, the Detroit Red Wings will host the Philadelphia Flyers for a huge Eastern Conference clash at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.

“We just got to want it more than the opponent,” Moritz Seider said. “I think it starts up there. Mentally, already if you want it more, I think you can have an advantage and an edge on your opponent. We got to show that from minute one.”

Puck drop for the regular-season series finale -- also the third clash in the last two weeks -- between the Red Wings (40-29-9; 89 points) and Flyers (40-26-12; 92 points) is set for 7 p.m., with broadcast coverage on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket). After dropping a 5-3 decision to Philadelphia at Little Caesars Arena on March 28, Detroit came out on top of a 4-2 score at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 2.

“They play hard and simple,” Dominik Shine, who was named the Red Wings’ 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee on Wednesday, said of the Flyers. “Countering that is just getting in their way. We don’t need to blow guys up, but we need to get in their way…I think just slowing them down a little bit through the neutral zone will really help.”

Although its winless streak reached three straight games with Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout defeat to the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets, Seider felt Detroit’s play marked a step in the right direction coming off last weekend’s back-to-back set against the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild.

“I thought we played a really solid game, honestly,” Seider said. “Obviously, not a great start but we found a way to get ourselves in the game, really do some good and now we just got to score. I think that’s something we got to address. If you have the chances, we got to bury on those. If not, us defensemen have to block even more. It has to work on both sides of the ice. If we can get that done, I think we’re going to get some points.”

Ahead of Thursday’s NHL slate, Detroit trailed the Ottawa Senators by three points for the Eastern Conference’s second Wild-Card spot. The Red Wings will need some outside help down the stretch to make up ground on the Senators, but Shine and the rest of the group know they must take care of their own business first.

“We need to play like a team,” Shine said. “You got to have all four lines bought in and all of the D. Getting pucks in, playing simple playoff hockey is what it’s all about. Eliminating those unnecessary mistakes and just playing hard.”

Philadelphia has won three straight games, most recently earning a 5–1 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Tuesday, to move into third place in the Metropolitan Division.

“They play fast,” Albert Johansson said of the Flyers. “They’re a good team. It’s going to be a tight match again. We got to focus on our game.”

Travis Konecny (66 points on 27 goals and 39 assists) and Trevor Zegras (65 points on 25 goals and 40 assists) are ranked first and second on the club’s points leaderboard, respectively, while Owen Tippett (51 points on 28 goals and 33 assists) is third. Rookie Porter Martone, who racked up 50 points in 35 games at Michigan State University this season, has four in his first five career NHL games.

“We got to see him play three periods against us,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said of Martone. “He was a good player, had an impact on the game. Then in the pre-scout that we’ve watched the last couple of games; he’s had an impact player there. So obviously, he’s got size, skill and talent. They have a good one there.”

Between the pipes, goalie Dan Vladar is 27-13-7 with a 2.40 goals-against average and .907 save percentage across 48 starts.

“Last time we played them in their building, we played such a good game with puck and game management,” Johansson added. “Overall, a good game. We’re going to bring that tonight here at home.”