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Detroit Red Wings’ preseason game vs. Pittsburgh rescheduled: Team to play twice Monday
Derek Lalonde on Red Wings’ 2-0 exhibition victory over Blackhawks
Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde, Sept. 27, 2024 in Detroit.
Everybody knows penguins can’t fly — and the ice-skating versions from Pittsburgh couldn’t either, Saturday.
Instead, the Detroit Red Wings will play twice on Monday — one squad at home against the Penguins, the other on the road at the Buffalo Sabres, as previously scheduled.
The Wings were supposed to host the Penguins at Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday for an exhibition match. Around 5 p.m., the Wings announced the game would instead start around 8:30 p.m. because the Penguins were having travel issues.
Around 7 p.m., the game was postponed, citing ongoing travel issues. Ninety minutes later, the Wings announced a makeup date: Monday.
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From the release: The “game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Little Caesars Arena has been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m. as part of a split-squad game. The Red Wings will also play a preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m.
“Tickets for tonight’s scheduled game will be valid for Monday’s contest. All pre-purchased parking passes are valid for Monday’s game. Fans who paid at an Olympia Parking facility by credit card can call (313) 725-3848 for a refund.”
In a split-squad situation, Wings head coach Derek Lalonde could opt to have either of his assistants, Bob Boughner or Alex Tanguay, run the bench in Buffalo, or hand the duties to Dan Watson, the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Wings don’t lack for bodies: Even before adding a second game on Monday, the plan was to keep all players around till the end of the exhibition season, as the Wings also play Oct. 1, 3, 4, and 5.
The Wings are 2-0-0 in the preseason, having won, 4-2, Wednesday at Chicago, and then beating the Blackhawks, 2-0, Friday at LCA.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings: A Curated History of the Red Wings,” will be available October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.