PREVIEW: Red Wings take on Blue Jackets in 2025 NHL Stadium Series on Saturday

COLUMBUS -- With Ohio Stadium serving as the battleground, the Detroit Red Wings will play the Columbus Blue Jackets in the highly-anticipated 2025 NHL Stadium Series on Saturday night.

Detroit (30-23-6; 66 points) and Columbus (29-22-8; 66 points) will drop the puck for the NHL’s 43rd regular-season outdoor clash at 6 p.m., with TV broadcast coverage airing exclusively on ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+. Ken Kal and Paul Woods will be joined by Daniella Bruce on the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

“This is a big spectacle,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “We’re talking a lot about it. It’s buildup. It’s unreal for both organizations and all the players involved. But when we get done here, we’re going to start talking about our next game against Carolina [Hurricanes]. If you put more value on the two points than any other night, you’re cheating a game in the future, or you’ve cheated a game in the past.”

Preparing for what marks the franchise’s fifth outdoor NHL game, Detroit aims to bounce back from a 5-2 loss to Columbus at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.

“Areas that we had a pretty good idea we didn’t play well in showed up in the video,” McLellan said when asked about his thoughts on Thursday’s game. “Some nights, as a staff, you’re tricked, and you maybe played better than you thought or else you weren’t as bad in certain areas. We struggled in a few areas, and we’ve tried to address them.

“The thing with our club is we have played better in those areas. We can do it. It’s not like we’re asking them to do something we can’t. It’s something they have done and can do. We’ll try and improve.”

Because the Red Wings hold themselves to a high standard, DeBrincat said they weren’t pleased with their performance on Thursday, and he expects them to “to be better” on Saturday.

“A lot of mistakes and turnovers early in the game,” said DeBrincat, who is riding an eight-game point streak with six goals and six assists in that span. “It cost us. I think we need to work on the battles in front of our net. I think they had a couple goals like that and just take away some sticks when they get shots from the point. Obviously, blocking shots from the point as well.”

Following Friday’s outdoor practice and family skate at Ohio Stadium, McLellan said he was still undecided about any lineup changes from Thursday’s game.

“We’re obviously limited,” McLellan said. “We have the injuries, so we have Sheldon [Dries] that we think we could put in if we so choose.”

Saturday’s marquee event also wraps up the season series between the Eastern Conference clubs, who are knotted up in the increasingly tight race for a Stanley Cup Playoffs spot.

“It’s pretty cool that the stakes are what they are,” goalie Alex Lyon said. “It’s a game that both teams want to win. It’s meaningful for both teams. Obviously, we just played them two nights ago too, so it adds another layer to it. It’s a really cool experience, and these are the things you just got to enjoy.”