PREVIEW: Red Wings head to Pittsburgh for preseason contest on Tuesday

PITTSBURGH -- Looking for some preseason payback, the Detroit Red Wings will visit the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday night.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m., with television broadcast coverage on Bally Sports Detroit.

The Red Wings fell short in both of their split-squad exhibition games on Monday night, a 5-1 loss to the Penguins at Little Caesars Arena and a 4-3 overtime setback to the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.

Lucas Raymond scored Detroit’s lone goal against Pittsburgh, while Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Elmer Soderblom and William Lagesson found the back of the net in Buffalo.

"You're going to have some of these back-to-backs, which is fine," Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said after Tuesday's morning skate at Little Caesars Arena's BELFOR Training Center. "It's just kind of spreading them out. We'll try to avoid some three [games] in four [days] for some guys. We're trying to balance what we're trying to get accomplished in camp with obviously making sure guys have their best opportunity to perform in camp and avoid some potential injuries."

As the Red Wings continue to prepare for Opening Night against the Penguins on Oct. 10, Justin Holl said the intensity of this year’s Training Camp will prove valuable for the players when the regular season begins.

“It’s been challenging physically,” Holl said. “I feel like Training Camp is always difficult, just in the sense that you try to prepare yourself as best you can in the summer. There’s really no way to replicate what you’re doing on the ice when Training Camp starts and the amount of workload you’re putting your body under. It has been difficult, but I would expect nothing less.”

Pace and skating have been two key areas of emphasis from the Red Wings coaching staff that have stood out to Holl throughout Training Camp.

“You’re doing difficult drills where you’re going up and down the ice maybe a couple times, then it’s a hard lap in between,” Holl said. “It’s kind of the accumulation of all these things, then at the end of the skate you’re doing conditioning. It’s meant to be hard. That’s the idea, and it’s meant to test us physically and mentally.”

In 2023-24, his first season with Detroit, Holl had five points (all assists) in 38 games. The 32-year-old defenseman said he’s entering this season with a narrow focus.

“You learn to control what you can,” Holl said. “So for me, that’s just trying to perform as well as I can every practice and game, and let the chips fall where they may.”

Holl, who has been working hard this fall, said he’s excited for a new season of opportunity in 2024-25.

“Every year, you have to continue to prove yourself,” Holl said. “From a mental standpoint, not much changes. It’s definitely something where I’m highly motivated. I obviously want to be a big part of the team, and I know I can be.”