Red Wings at Panthers
Coach Jeff Blashill wasn't shy about tinkering with his lines despite the Detroit Red Wings' season being all of one game old. After serving as a healthy scratch in the opener, speedy forward Andreas Athanasiou will join captain Henrik Zetterberg and Frans Nielsen on the top line on Saturday as the Red Wings continue their trek through the Sunshine State with a visit to the Florida Panthers.
"The bottom line for Andreas is he's got to win puck battles and win physical battles, and when he does that, he's a really good player," Blashill said. "When he doesn't, nobody is. He knows that, we had a conversation about that the other day." While Detroit's defense and penalty kill were taken to task in a 6-4 setback to Tampa Bay on Thursday, Florida made the most of solid goaltending by veteran Roberto Luongo to emerge victorious on a night that it raised the Atlantic Division banner to the rafters. The 37-year-old made 23 saves to record his 437th win, moving into a tie with Hall of Famer Jacques Plante for sixth place all-time in NHL history. Luongo is just 16-15-5 with a 2.88 goals-against average in 37 career meetings with Detroit, although Florida has won eight of the last 13 encounters between the clubs.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN Florida
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (0-1-0): The World Cup of Hockey caused Thomas Vanek to be a bit late in getting to know his new team after the Austrian forward signed a one-year deal worth $2.6 million in the offseason. Vanek made up for lost time with linemates Gustav Nyquist and Darren Helm by notching two assists in the preseason finale before scoring twice in the opener. "We seemed to find some chemistry," the 27-year-old Nyquist told the Detroit Free Press. "Helmer is a hard worker, can really fly, and Vanek is a smart, skilled player, knows how to score. You have to be ready when he's got the puck -- he's got great vision and playmaking ability, so try to get open."
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (1-0-0): Rookie defenseman Mike Matheson got his feet wet in the playoffs last season before making a splash in Thursday's opener, separating New Jersey defenseman Damon Severson from the puck before feeding Aleksander Barkov for the overtime goal. "It was nice to be able to add to the offense, get one back," Matheson told the the Miami Herald after taking the blame for the Devils' lone goal. "Barkov is so good, he was definitely out there for a while controlling the puck. He makes playing with him so easy."
OVERTIME
1. Florida veteran RW Jaromir Jagr has recorded 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 40 career encounters with Detroit.
2. Red Wings G Petr Mrazek, who will start Saturday's tilt, owns a 2-1-1 mark with one shutout in four career meetings with the Panthers.
3. Florida was 0-for-3 on the power play in the season opener and just 2-for-17 in the 2015-16 season series with Detroit.