Detroit, MI
NHL roundup: Zach Werenski says slumping Blue Jackets ‘still in it’
Detroit Red Wings lost, 5-4, to Minnesota Wild in NHL action at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.
The Red Wings rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the third period but lost, 5-4, to the Wild at Little Caesars Arena.
A pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams in desperate need of a win will square off at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Tuesday night.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost six straight games while the Detroit Red Wings have dropped six of their last eight. Both clubs are trying to revive their fading playoff hopes.
Columbus (38-27-12, 88 points) lost at home to the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday. The frustrated Blue Jackets held a team meeting following the defeat.
“I’ll just keep our conversation in here because we’re a better team than what we’ve shown and just talked about it,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe) said. “We’re not eliminated. We’re still in it and I believe in this group. I believe we can get it done and it’s just doing it.
“I mean, we did it for two months. The last two weeks obviously haven’t gone our way, but it’s in the room and it’s on us to just pull it out and get it done.”
Columbus’ offense has stalled during the slide, scoring a total of 10 goals.
“We create the second most chances on the forecheck in the entire league,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “Yet we want to get inside the blue line and make cute little plays against good teams that aren’t working. And they’re not working. So, I have to get after them. They’ve got to change their mindset.”
Werenski believes the team needs a singular mindset on Tuesday.
“We can’t worry about what other teams do or whoever we have after Detroit,” he said. “Our focus just has to be on Detroit, and after that we’ll figure it out.”
The Red Wings (40-29-8, 88 points) rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit to tie Minnesota on Sunday. But Patrick Kane, who scored the tying goal, took a damaging tripping penalty which led to Kirill Kaprisov’s game-winner for the Wild with 1:51 remaining.
“We get the comeback and take a penalty 150 feet from our net not even in the play. It hurts,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said.
Detroit has five games remaining and might need to win them all to end a nine- year playoff drought.
“(We need to) play like we did in the third period more of the game,” Red Wings center J.T. Compher said. “We gave ourselves a chance. If we start better, it makes a little easier on us. The way we played in the third, we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.”
Detroit won its first meeting with Columbus this season on Alex DeBrincat’s overtime goal on Nov. 22. The Blue Jackets pulled out a 6-5 shootout victory in the second matchup on Dec. 4.
Draisaitl may not be ready for playoff opener
Out with a lower-body injury since March 15, Edmonton Oilers star forward Leon Draisaitl might miss the beginning of the Stanley Cup playoffs, coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters on Monday.
“Leon is going to be on the ice this week and I don’t anticipate him playing any games in the regular season, and in the playoffs, sometime in the first round if things go well,” Knoblauch said.
“I’m not ruling that out (first game of the playoffs), but I would just anticipate sometime in the first (round). There’s a period of time we anticipated his return and we said it was going to be right around the end of the regular season, at the start of playoffs.”
Despite missing the last nine games, Draisaitl entered Monday as the NHL’s fifth-leading scorer this season, posting 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 65 games.
With five games left in the regular season, the Oilers (39-29-9, 87 points) are tied atop the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks entering the week, and begin a three-game road trip Tuesday in Utah against the Mammoth. Edmonton closes the regular season on April 16, two days before the start of the postseason.
A three-time All-Star, Draisaitl has been a beast in the past two postseasons, helping Edmonton advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, losing to the Florida Panthers both times. In the 2025 playoffs, he compiled 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists), following a 31-point postseason (10 goals, 21 assists) the previous spring.
Fellow Oilers forward Zach Hyman, who is out with an undisclosed injury, will likely miss the road trip, which includes games at the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings. The 33-year-old has 51 points (31 goals, 20 assists) in 57 games this season.
“Hyman, I would think he’s going to play one if not two games before the end of this season,” Knoblauch said. “So, this week he’s out and not playing.”
Last season, Draisaitl missed the final seven games with an undisclosed injury, but returned for the opener of the postseason to help lead Edmonton back to the Cup Final.
The Pistons have made recent moves to add more shooting, but still don’t have anyone quite as lethal as former Detroit guard Luke Kennard. On Saturday night, Kennard had a brilliant start to his postseason with 27 uber-efficient points for the Lakers in a win against the Rockets. His level of 3-point accuracy is something the Pistons have desperately been seeking all season long to bolster their offense.
Luke Kennard’s shooting makes him a dangerous playoff performer
Kennard was originally drafted to Detroit with the 17th pick of the 2017 Draft. The Pistons have plenty of draft regrets from that general era of team history, but picking Kennard has never been one of them. Despite any other weaknesses he may have, his strength as a shooter has always been enough to offset them.
In terms of pure 3-point percentage, Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averages 44% behind the arc for his career, and shot a blistering 48% this season – the best mark in the league. Given his incredible track record, it’s not exactly a shocker to see him shoot 5-of-5 from three en route to 27 points in Game 1.
Not only is Kennard obviously an excellent standstill shooter, but he’s also a master of getting himself open with his movement. On Saturday night, he was able to play off LeBron James perfectly for a few easy looks. After that, he caught enough of a rhythm to create 3-point looks for himself, even in transition.
A player like Kennard is easily capable of turning an entire playoff game when he gets hot. In a close series, that one game where Kennard hits several threes can be all the difference his team needs to advance. If the Lakers do manage to win this series, even without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, Kennard’s shooting will be a major reason why.
The Pistons could use someone like Kennard
Kennard would be a perfect marginal addition for the Pistons that only makes them better without taking anything away from the team. To be fair, the Pistons do have two shooters who have been hot recently in Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. But having more than one respected shooter on the court at a time is often necessary to maintain a solid offense in today’s NBA.
Given the Pistons’ current lack of shooting, any additional shooters are welcome. And Kennard is understandably one of the most feared shooters in the league, capable of bending defenses just by the threat of him taking a three. Rolling him out on the Pistons would surely open up more lanes for Detroit’s stars to attack the paint and score easier points.
Follow
A Detroit woman was arrested in the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision and shooting on Interstate 94, Michigan State Police reported.
Emergency dispatchers were called shortly after midnight Saturday about the altercation. Troopers reported the caller said while they were driving eastbound on I-94, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a black Jeep sideswiped them and sped off.
The caller then decided to follow the Jeep.
In response, police said, the driver of the Jeep fired several gunshots in the caller’s direction.
None of the gunshots struck the vehicle.
Troopers were able to use license plate reader camera technology to locate the Jeep while it was on the Lodge Freeway, made a traffic stop. The driver and two passengers were taken into custody without incident.
The passengers were released shortly afterwards; troopers believe that the 19-year-old driver was the shooter. She has been lodged pending further review by the prosecutor’s office.
In addition, a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.
The above video originally aired on Aug. 19, 2025.
NBA playoffs best matchups
Breaking down the best first-round NBA playoff matchups.
Who is favored in the NBA playoffs odds for Game 1 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic?
Here’s what you need to know about NBA playoff betting odds for the NBA game between the No. 8 seed Magic and No. 1 seed Pistons, which is being played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
What is the point spread for the Pistons vs Magic game?
What is the moneyline for the Magic vs Pistons game?
What is the over/under (point total) for betting on the first-round NBA playoff matchup?
NBA playoffs odds: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | NBA championship odds | Game odds
Watch Magic at Pistons on Peacock
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is point spread?
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Detroit Pistons are an 8.5-point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series.
NBA playoffs Game 1 predictions, picks: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s score projections
Pistons vs Magic odds: What is moneyline?
BetMGM Sportsbook lists Detroit as -375 on the moneyline for the first-round NBA playoff game. It has Orlando at +290.
NBA playoffs series schedules, TV channels: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | Daily schedule | First-round matchups
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is over/under?
The point total for the opening game of the NBA playoffs series between the Pistons and Magic is listed at 218.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
NBA playoffs series picks, predictions: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s predictions | NBA playoff bracket
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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