PREVIEW: Red Wings visit Devils Thursday for 2023-24 season opener

NEWARK, N.J. -- Detroit Red Wings hockey is finally back.

The Red Wings will kick off the 2023-24 campaign Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Puck drop for Detroit’s season opener is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu. Ken Kal and Paul Woods will have the call on the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

“I know there’s 82 (games),” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said. “But there is something special with an opening game.”

Detroit earned a 35-37-10 (80 points) record last season, its best finish since last making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2015-16. And now, as the Red Wings begin their 98th campaign in franchise history, captain Dylan Larkin said the club must build on the identity it established in 2022-23.

“That’s a hard-working team, relentless forechecking and on top of people,” Larkin said. “We showed it last year. We had guys buying in, blocking shots and doing whatever it took. We have talked about continuing that and brought in guys that will only help that.”

Larkin said the players feel more comfortable entering year two under Lalonde and his coaching staff.

“Last year was all new,” Larkin said. “Even this week, before the season last year, we were going through systems and still learning. Right now, we’re fine-tuning things and getting ready to go. There’s not that much of an adjustment period compared to last year.”

When asked what a successful season looks like for the Red Wings, Lalonde said while he doesn’t have that answer yet, playing meaningful games down the stretch will be important.

“We want to push for it,” Lalonde said. “We want to be in the fight. We want those meaningful games late, which we flirted with a little bit through three quarters of (last) season.”

The Devils set franchise records in wins (52) and points (112) last season, securing a Stanley Cup Playoffs berth for the first time since 2018. New Jersey beat the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference First Round before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Second Round.

Last season, Jack Hughes led the Devils in each of the club’s three main scoring categories (43-56—99) while Jesper Bratt (32-41—73) and Nico Hischier (31-49—80) both eclipsed the 30-goal threshold. New Jersey used three different goalies in 2022-23, with Vitek Vanecek seeing the most time in net and posting a 33-11-4 record with a 2.45 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.

“I love the fact we’re playing a Stanley Cup contender that’s really on the rise,” Lalonde said about the Devils. “They are good. Just watching them back in prep, that’s a really good hockey team. A good challenge for us.”