The Detroit Red Wings are in the middle of a hot wild card race with the Columbus Blue Jackets. This Saturday, they will meet in the 2025 NHL Stadium Series and one team will have a slight advantage and be one step closer to grabbing that wild card spot. Both teams have been playing well so this is a big game for both franchises.
Red Wings, Blue Jackets collide for wild card
Detroit and Columbus will battle at the Ohio Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University Saturday evening at 6pm on ESPN. The outdoor game is the latest in regards to Red Wings games outside, while the Blue Jackets will be playing in their first outdoor game in their history.
According to Sports Business Journal, NHL President of NHL Content & Events Steve Mayer predicts the second-largest crowd in NHL history with an estimated 90,000 at Ohio Stadium. The largest crowd of 105, 491 at Michigan Stadium saw the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs 2014 Winter Classic.
Both teams have 66 points and have first and second-wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings hold the all-time advantage in head-to-head matchups with a 66-32-16 regular season record and a 4-0 playoff record. Detroit won 4-3 in their only regular season game this season.
Red Wings outdoor history
Detroit is no stranger to outdoor games. They will be playing in their fifth outdoor game with a record of 2-2 thus far. Here is their history of outdoor games:
- January 1, 2009, beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago January 1, 2014, lost to Toronto 3-2 in a shootout in Michigan Stadium February 27, 2016, defeated the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 at Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). January 1, 2017, lost to the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime at BMO Field, home of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
This will not only be an elevated game for the two teams but it will surely be an electric atmosphere. Red Wings Captain Dylan Larkin will lead Detroit against long-time friend Zach Werenski and his Blue Jackets.
This game may have a playoff-type feel to it and it should. This game has a lot of meaning with the winner having a slight edge heading down the stretch into the final weeks of the season. We are likely to see the best out of these two in this matchup, setting the stage for what could be one of the best outdoor games ever.