PREVIEW: Mrazek between the pipes as Red Wings host Sabres on Wednesday

DETROIT -- Reintroducing himself to Hockeytown faithful, goaltender Petr Mrazek will start for the Detroit Red Wings when they host the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night.

Puck drop for the season series finale between Detroit (30-28-6; 66 points) and Buffalo (25-32-6; 56 points) is set for 7:30 p.m., with TV broadcast coverage airing on TNT and MAX as well as FanDuel Sports Network Detroit. Fans can also tune into 97.1 The Ticket, the Red Wings’ flagship radio station.

“It’s been seven years since I was here, but it feels like being back to normal,” said Mrazek, who was acquired by Detroit via trade from the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of last Friday’s 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. “I know the place and a lot of people in Detroit, so it’s nice. The time flew by quickly, and I’m back.”

Selected by the Red Wings in the fifth round (No. 141 overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Mrazek played parts of his first six seasons with Detroit before suiting up for the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs and most recently, Chicago Blackhawks.

“My first steps in the NHL were here,” said Mrazek, who is set to make his first start with the Red Wings since Feb. 18, 2018. “It wasn’t easy to leave this place, but that’s how the hockey world is and how it works sometimes. To put [this sweater] back on, it's a privilege and I’m excited.”

In 33 games with the Blackhawks this season, the 33-year-old netminder posted a 10-19-2 record with a 3.46 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.

“He’s familiar with trainers and lot of the faces around that he’s played with, so it’s not like he’s a brand-new guy,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said about Mrazek. “Having him active on the bench the other night was important. They had the three-goalie thing going in Chicago, and his participation level there probably slipped a little bit too because of their commitment to the other two. Having him [in Ottawa] and around the team meetings certainly didn’t hurt.”

The Red Wings dropped their sixth straight game on Monday, a tight 2-1 road loss to the Ottawa Senators. Regardless of the result for Detroit, McLellan said it’s important his players know what they’re doing well and the areas they must improve in order to snap of this tough stretch.

“We’re trying to remind them that they’ve played some really good hockey,” McLellan said. “They’ve gone on some really good, long winning streaks. They’ve been able to score and prevent. Trying to keep the belief system up but also hold them accountable for their lackadaisical play which has cost us in some games.”

At the bottom of the Atlantic Division, Buffalo ended a six-game winless streak by holding off the Edmonton Oilers for a 3-2 win on Monday.

Tage Thompson lit the lamp twice against the Oilers, giving the 27-year-old forward five goals in his last five games and bringing his season total to a team-best 33. JJ Peterka (19 goals, 32 assists) and captain Rasmus Dahlin (11 goals, 40 assists) are tied for second on Buffalo’s scoring leaderboard with 51 points apiece.

Appearing in 47 games this season, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 21-20-4 with a 3.11 GAA, .892 SV% and a pair of shutouts.

The Red Wings are 2-1-0 against the Sabres this season.

“They have their own thing going on there right now, but when I look at their team, the defense is really active,” McLellan said about Buffalo. “It’s active out of their zone and the offensive zone. It’s involved in all the offensive parts of the game, and they seem to be a really good rush team once they get rolling around. In the offensive zone, they’re tough to handle. The size that they have can score.”