PREVIEW: Red Wings welcome Wild to Little Caesars Arena for Easter Sunday matinee

DETROIT -- Less than 24 hours after a frustrating end to their three-game road trip, the Detroit Red Wings will look to bounce back when they host Minnesota Wild at Little Caesars Arena for an Easter Sunday matinee.

“We got to win to get in [to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs],” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said following Saturday afternoon’s 4-1 setback to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. “That’s why the focus has to shift to Minnesota [on Sunday]. We can’t dwell on this one. Get a little better around their net and hungrier to put pucks away.”

Puck drop for the second and final regular-season clash between the Red Wings (40-28-8; 88 points) and Wild (43-21-12; 98 points) is set for 1 p.m., with TV broadcast coverage airing exclusively on TNT and HBO MAX. Hockeytown faithful can also tune in to 97.1 The Ticket, the Red Wings’ flagship radio station.

“Went [to Madison Square Garden] for two big points and left there without any, so that part of it is disappointing,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “The process in the game too wasn’t enough…They played a heavier, harder game than we did. And they were opportunistic on our scoring chances. Scored one on the power play and they shut us out on our power play, and that was a bit of the difference. But, behind us now. Can’t dwell too much on that one. We got to play against a real good Minnesota Wild team coming in here today.”

Fortunately for Detroit, Saturday night produced some favorable results on the out-of-town scoreboard, as the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders also all suffered regulation losses while the Philadelphia Flyers were idle. As a result, the Red Wings still find themselves in a four-way tie in points with those previously listed clubs for the Eastern Conference’s second Wild-Card spot.

“If we’re sitting here, and every other team won [on Saturday night], the task is just tougher,” McLellan said. “But, somebody has to step up. Doing the pre-scout for Minnesota and Ottawa…their game looked a lot like ours did against the Rangers, where Ottawa didn’t step up either. There’s other teams around us. Time is running out on everybody. Somebody’s going to get a spark and get hot over the next 10 days.”

Lucas Raymond, like his teammates, believes they can rise to the occasion during this likely season-defining four-game homestand.

“We’ve got a great opportunity here,” Raymond said. “We’ve got these games left here to really do something special with this team. So, the faith is high in here. We have a lot of faith in ourselves and our team. It’s just about going out there and getting it done.”

The Wild were also in action on Saturday afternoon, earning a 4-1 win against the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. They clinched a 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs berth on Friday and are currently in third place in the Western Conference’s top-heavy Central Division.

Offensively, Minnesota is powered by Kirill Kaprizov (84 points) and Matt Boldy (79 points), while Quinn Hughes has recorded 51 points in 44 games with the club since being acquired via trade from the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 12.

“They’re a dynamic, offensive team,” McLellan said. “They’ve made some moves to add some people to augment that, and they believe in what they’re doing.”

Netminder Filip Gustavsson is expected to start against the Red Wings, bringing a 27-13-6 record along with a 2.56 goals-against average and .910 save percentage across 46 appearances.

Last time out against Minnesota, Detroit picked up a point in a 4-3 overtime loss at Grand Casino Arena on Jan. 23.

 “They have big [defensemen], like [the Rangers] that box out well,” Larkin said of the Wild. “That’s where playoff goals are scored, and our playoffs started three weeks ago.”