The Red Wings pre-season journey continues this evening, when Detroit hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena.  It will be a Red Wing lineup that offers a close approximation of the one coach Derek Lalonde will ice a week from today for the regular season opener, with a few exceptions.  Without further ado, here's everything you need to know ahead of tonight's action:

Lineups: Compher Out, Seider-Edvinsson Pair Up, Marlies-Heavy Leafs

-At morning skate, Detroit's alignment offered a strong preview of what's to come when the pre-season concludes, topped with a familiar trio of Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, and Alex DeBrincat, who have remained together through the bulk of camp and the pre-season.  The second line affords young Marco Kasper the chance to skate on a line with Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane.  That's a responsibility he's earned with a strong pre-season, though it is also likely a placeholder with J.T. Compher (the Red Wings' presumptive second-line center) out of action.  Lalonde indicated that Compher (who practiced yesterday) is taking a maintenance day and will play in one of Detroit's final two pre-season games on Friday and Saturday.

Elsewhere in the forward group, the Michael Rasmussen-Andrew Copp-Christian Fischer takes its accustomed place in the third line slot.  Finally, Tyler Motte, Joe Veleno, and Jonatan Berggren comprise the fourth line.  Those former two are likely candidates for those roles come the regular season, but this will be an important data point for Berggren (to the extent that important data points can come from the pre-season) in proving his fitness for a bottom six role.

On the back end, the headline is that Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson joined forces on the Red Wings' top pair.  That's a possibility that Detroit fans have been drooling over coming together for the first time.  Lalonde stressed after morning skate that the Red Wings view Edvinsson as a top four D, regardless of who his partner is, downplaying the significance of an Edvinsson-Seider pairing while adding that if the two run with the opportunity together, that would be great.

"I think we had some good chemistry out there," said Seider of skating beside Edvinsson this mornign.  "I think every D with each other, doesn't matter who's out there...I think tonight will be a good challenge for us.  I think it was the first time [together] ever for us, so obviously I'm looking forward.  Two pretty long and big bodies, so I think we can cover a lot of ice and hopefully make it work."

Finally, the plan in net will be for the summer's free agent signing Cam Talbot to play his first full game of the pre-season.

-Toronto, meanwhile, will bring a lineup featuring a good number of players more likely to begin the season as AHL Marlies than NHL Maple Leafs.  However, they will skate a few familiar names in veterans like Calle Jarnkrok, David Kampf, and Timothy Liljegren.  PTO-signed veteran Max Pacioretty will also be in the visiting lineup.

Where to Watch

Tonight's game, a scheduled seven o'clock puck drop, will air on Bally Sports Detroit, with Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond on the call.  It will also air on the radio on its usual home, 97.1 The Ticket.

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