Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Broadcast: Bally Sports Detroit / Bally Sports Ohio / ESPN+
Venue Context
Little Caesars Arena is a fast‑ice, momentum‑driven building, offering:
Strong home‑ice energy for Detroit
Favorable conditions for transition‑heavy teams
A crowd that amplifies physical play and forechecking pressure
This environment slightly favors Detroit, whose speed‑and‑skill identity thrives at home.
Injury Report
Columbus Blue Jackets
Patrik Laine — OUT (upper body)
Adam Boqvist — OUT (lower body)
Kent Johnson — Day‑to‑day (illness)
Jake Bean — OUT (shoulder)
Elvis Merzļikins — Day‑to‑day (lower body)
Columbus enters the matchup with significant defensive injuries and uncertainty in goal.
Detroit Red Wings
Dylan Larkin — Day‑to‑day (lower body)
Moritz Seider — OUT (upper body)
Lucas Raymond — Day‑to‑day (illness)
Andrew Copp — OUT (knee)
Ville Husso — OUT (groin)
Detroit is missing key pieces at center and on the blue line, but their scoring depth remains intact.
Recent Team Form
Columbus (Last 10 Games):
6‑3‑1 record
3.20 goals per game
2.90 goals allowed per game
Power play: 21.4%
Penalty kill: 82.1%
Columbus is playing some of its most structured hockey of the season, driven by improved defensive zone exits and strong special teams.
Detroit (Last 10 Games):
5‑4‑1 record
3.40 goals per game
3.10 goals allowed per game
Power play: 23.8%
Penalty kill: 80.4%
Detroit remains dangerous offensively but has shown defensive inconsistency without Seider.
Key Player Matchups
Johnny Gaudreau (CBJ) vs. Alex DeBrincat (DET)
Gaudreau: 22 G, 48 A, elite playmaker
DeBrincat: 34 G, 32 A, high‑volume shooter
Edge: Even — Both drive offense in different ways.
Boone Jenner (CBJ) vs. Dylan Larkin (DET, if active)
Jenner: 26 G, 21 A, physical two‑way center
Larkin: 29 G, 41 A, elite transition threat
Edge: Detroit (if Larkin plays) — Larkin’s speed is a major factor.
Edge: Columbus (if Larkin sits) — Jenner’s physicality becomes more impactful.
Goaltending: Daniil Tarasov (CBJ) vs. Alex Lyon (DET)
Tarasov: .908 SV%, 2.91 GAA
Lyon: .912 SV%, 2.78 GAA
Edge: Slight to Detroit — Lyon has been more consistent at home.
Series History
Recent meetings:
Jan 19, 2026: Red Wings 4–3 OT (DET win)
Dec 7, 2025: Blue Jackets 3–2 (CBJ win)
Mar 22, 2025: Red Wings 5–2 (DET win)
Jan 11, 2025: Blue Jackets 4–1 (CBJ win)
Nov 30, 2024: Red Wings 3–2 (DET win)
Detroit leads 3–2 in the last 5 meetings.
Betting Trends
Columbus Trends
6‑4 in last 10
Unders hit in 6 of last 10
Strong road penalty kill
Detroit Trends
5‑5 in last 10
Overs hit in 7 of last 10
Home offense averaging 3.6 goals per game
Matchup Trend
Last 4 meetings have been one‑goal games
Three of the last five have gone Under
Game Odds
Columbus Blue Jackets 6.5
Detroit Red Wings – 120
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, April 6, 2026
