Preview: Red Wings host Predators, going for sixth straight win

DETROIT -- With a winning homestand already secured, the Detroit Red Wings will look to build on their success Tuesday night when they host the Nashville Predators at Little Caesars Arena.
Detroit (13-9-3) has won five consecutive games, its longest streak since the 2018-19 season. The Red Wings are also rolling at home this season with a 9-2-2 record.

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said a key to Detroit's recent success has been overcoming mistakes.
"I think our competitive level continues to be high. By no means has it been perfect games," Blashill said. "There are a lot of errors we have to keep getting better at, for sure. But we found ways to win. Again, I think part of that is because you can compete yourself past mistakes at times and I think we have done that."
On Saturday, the Red Wings let the lead slip twice against the New York Islanders but still earned the win, 4-3, in overtime, the team's second overtime win in four games.

"I probably bet you that no one is asking how you win, if you look back to the season," Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider said. "I think it's a matter of how many games you have won during that 80-game stretch and now, we are doing a really good thing, just collecting points on a nightly basis."
Seider was one of the Red Wings' heroes on Saturday, scoring a goal with 1:27 left in overtime to hand the Isles their 10th straight loss. It was Seider's second overtime goal this season and third goal overall.

When asked if he started a puck collection of his overtime goals, true to his form, Seider gave a team-first answer.
"Maybe," Seider said with a smile. "Just happy that we got the win."
The Predators (13-10-1) enter Tuesday's matchup three days removed from a 4-3 overtime win of their own against the Montreal Canadiens. Nashville is 5-5-1 away from Bridgestone Arena this season.
Mikael Granlund leads Nashville and is tied for fifth in the NHL with 21 assists (5-21-26). He leads a trio of Predators with 20 or more points this season, as Matt Duchene (13-11-24) and Roman Josi (7-14-21) have each reached the 20-point plateau.
Between the posts, Juuse Saros has separated himself as coach John Hynes' No. 1 option this season. In 20 starts, the 26-year-old is 11-8-1 with a 2.37 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage.
After playing in the same division last season, Nashville has moved back to the Western Conference's Central Division and is facing Detroit on Tuesday for the first of two matchups this season.

Witkowski recalled from Grand Rapids

The Red Wings recalled defenseman Luke Witkowski from the Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday.
Blashill said it is hard to say what Witkowski's role will be against Nashville.
"We're in a spot here, between injuries and COVID, we just got to make sure that we have the right manpower," Blashill said. "Luke had the opportunity to play last night. We didn't want to call both Dan and Luke up, and leave Grand Rapids totally shorthanded. So, he did play last night and he's in a little bit different of a situation in terms of skating today. So, we'll see if and when we use him."
The 31-year-old has skated in 17 games with the Griffins this season and has one point and 43 penalty minutes. The Holland, Mich., native is in his second stint with the Red Wings after previously spending two seasons with the franchise from 2017-19.

Renouf Rejoins Red Wings

On Monday, The Detroit Red Wings recalled defenseman Dan Renouf from the Griffins.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman has skated in 13 games with the Griffins this season and has three assists along with 15 penalty minutes. The 27-year-old made his Red Wings season debut on Nov. 24 against the St. Louis Blues.

Staal Enters COVID-19 Protocol

The Red Wings announced defenseman Marc Staal was placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocols on Monday.
Blashill said the length of Staal's absence has yet to be determined.
In 22 appearances for Detroit, the 34-year-old has tallied one goal and three assists this season.

Lindstrom Out Against Predators

After practice on Monday, Blashill confirmed defenseman Gustav Lindstrom would not suit up against the Predators on Tuesday night.
The 23-year-old did not practice on Monday. He exited Detroit's Saturday tilt against the Islanders with a lower-body injury.