The Detroit Red Wings are off to their best start in 14 seasons. They’ll look to avenge their most lopsided loss when they host the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
The Red Wings recorded 12 wins through the first 20 games of a season for the first time since 2011-12, when they also posted an identical 12-7-1 record.
One loss this season came on the Islanders’ home ice, where Detroit was pounded 7-2. Emil Heineman scored two of the Islanders’ goals in that Oct. 23 matchup.
The Red Wings enter the rematch on a modest two-game winning streak. They edged the New York Rangers 2-1, then downed Seattle 4-2 to collect seven points over their last four games.
Their latest victory was sparked by a pair of rookie forwards, Nate Danielson and Emmitt Finnie.
Playing in his fifth NHL game, Danielson was credited with his first goal when a shot deflected off his shin pad and into the Kraken goal. He used his stick to score another but that was nullified by an offside call. Danielson then set up Finnie’s go-ahead goal.
“We’re constantly encouraging them to expand their game a little bit. But we’re also pushing them,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Nights like (Tuesday), they have those young legs and they have to provide that energy, and they’re doing a good job of it.”
Finnie has five goals and four assists. He had gone 10 games without recording a point.
“Those kids took over and they started to push it,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “They were rolling and skating and using their legs. A season like this, when you play a lot of games in a short period of time, it’ll be hard on them. But when they find their legs like that in games, it’s going to be huge for our team.”
The Islanders have proved to be road warriors, and they’ll be wrapping up a seven-game trip on Thursday. They won five of their last six games, including a 3-2 victory at Dallas on Tuesday.
“It’s a solid road trip and it was a solid road game (Tuesday),” head coach Patrick Roy said. “I’m very impressed with the way we’re playing. Our guys are playing solid hockey right now. Very good decisions with the puck. It was a hard-fought game. We played well enough to win.”
Dallas had a slight edge in shots on net — 24-22 — but the Islanders blocked 16 shots and not only killed off three power plays but increased their lead to 3-1 in the third period on a short-handed goal by Kyle Palmieri.
“We did a really good job in the neutral zone not letting them set up,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said. “And when they did, we did a good job defending and got some really big saves by our goalie.”
Bo Horvat, whose eight-game point streak was snapped in a 4-1 loss to Colorado on Sunday, had one of the other goals. He leads the team with 13 goals and 24 points.
