Up next: New York Rangers

DETROIT --It was an astonishing proclamation when the Rangers sent out a letter to their fan base last February, notifying them the organization was committed to retooling its roster with "young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character."
Essentially, the Rangers, the Red Wings' next opponent, Friday at Little Caesars Arena (7:30 p.m. face-off), were admitting despite making the playoffs in 10 of the past 12 seasons and reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2014, the road to the Stanley Cup needed to be rebuilt.

So, the Blueshirts unloaded several beloved veterans at the trade deadline and were even willing to part with all-world goalie Henrik Lundqvist, but the future Hall of Famer decided to remain in the Big Apple.
During the offseason, the Rangers remained true to their word by not pursuing high-end free agents - though they had significant cap space - or entertaining offers for any of their three first-round choices in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Instead, they signed some of their own restricted free agents, giving them trade flexibility, and added three first-round picks to their talent pipeline.
If one thing is for certain, Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton and team president Glen Sather are determined to create a new culture with a revamped cast wearing the Broadway Blues.
The Skinny:
When New York's hierarchy decided to pull the chute on last season, the Rangers were only a handful of points out of a playoff position, but once they started to dismantle the roster, the Blueshirts finished the season at 34-39-9, good for 77 points and eighth place in the Metropolitan Division and 24th overall in the NHL. They averaged 2.78 goals per game, which tied them for 21st in the league and their 3.21 goals-against average ranked 28th in the NHL. Their power play was decent at a 21.2-percent success rate, which placed them in a tie for 12th, and their penalty kill of 81.4 percent was tied for 10th best. In one-goal games, the Rangers were 16-10-9 for a .586 winning percentage. After 15 games this season, the Rangers have 15 points with a 7-7-1 record, sixth in the Metropolitan Division.
The Last Time:
On February 25, 2018 at Madison Square Garden, the Red Wings defeated the Rangers, 3-2, in overtime. Trevor Daley scored the game winner at 4:45 of OT, with Frans Nielsen and Tomas Tatar picking up the assists. Andreas Athanasiou and Darren Helm also scored for the Wings. Helm's tally was unassisted, while Nick Jensen and Dylan Larkin picked up the assists on Athanasiou's goal. J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast scored for the Rangers.
The Forward Corps:
The Rangers still have some holdovers from last season up front, including their top line of right wing Mats Zuccarello (16-37-53), center Mika Zibanejad (27-20-47) and left wing Chris Kreider (16-21-37). New York ranked in the bottom third in the NHL in goal scoring last year and for that to change, the Rangers are counting on their top line and second line of center Kevin Hayes (25-19-44), left wing Ryan Spooner (13-28-41) and right wing Pavel Buchnevich (14-29-43) to pick up the scoring slack with each top-six forward reaching at least the 50-point mark. Zuccarello was the only Rangers player to top 50 points last season. This season, Zibanejad (6-7-13), Kreider (7-4-11), Zuccarello (3-7-10) and rookie center Brett Howden (3-6-9) are pacing the Blueshirts' offensive attack up front.
The Blue Line:
New York's back end was in chaos last season. High-priced free agent Kevin Shattenkirk (5-18-23) had a horrific first season with the Rangers. He was shut down after playing only 46 games due to season-ending knee surgery. This year, under new coach David Quinn, there have been persistent rumblings Quinn would like to sit Shattenkirk, but he's played in 14 of the Rangers' 15 games. Brady Skjei (4-21-25), Neal Pionk (1-13-14 in 28 games), veteran Marc Staal (1-7-8) and former Wings defenseman Brendan Smith (1-7-8), who was put on waivers last season after playing in 44 games, round out a rather shaky defensive corps for New York. After 15 games this season, Pionk (2-6-8), Skjei (1-6-7) and Tony DeAngelo (2-3-5) are providing the offense from the blue line.
The Net:
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been the Rangers' heart and soul the past decade. Lundqvist dealt with a wonky knee and the Rangers' transition last season, posting a 26-26-7 record with a 2.98 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage and two shutouts. He also faced the fourth-most shots in the NHL. This season King Henrik is 5-6-1 with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. Alexander Georgiev is the Rangers' backup. Last season for the Hartford Wolf Pack, he was 14-13-2 with a 2.98 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage and two shutouts. Georgiev is 2-1 this season with the Rangers with a goals-against average of 3.61 and a save percentage of .897.
The Burning Question:
How will the Rangers respond to rookie head coach Quinn? He had a successful run in five seasons at Boston University (106-67-21), but the NHL is a different animal, though the Rangers roster is made up of several college players.
The Series:
Friday's meeting will be the 591st clash between these Original Six rivals. The Red Wings lead the series, 267-214-103-6. In Detroit, the Wings are 171-77-45-2. On the road, Detroit is 96-137-58-4 versus the Rangers.