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Taro Hirose will make his NHL debut as a Detroit Red Wing in the world’s most famous arena - Tuesday at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers.
“Going into MSG for your first game, it doesn’t get much bigger than that,” Wings center Frans Nielsen told Mlive.com, remembering that he played his second NHL game there.
Hirose, 22, the NCAA free-agent left-winger from the Michigan State Spartans, who signed with Detroit last week, will skate on a line alongside veterans Nielsen and Thomas Vanek.
Left-winger Ryan Kuffner, Detroit’s other college free-agent addition, made his NHL debut Saturday in the same spot.
“I’ve just been trying to not put too much pressure on myself and not think about it,” Hirose said. “I’m sure when we get into New York tonight and tomorrow, the nerves will start coming in. But I’m just trying not to think too much about it right now.”
As well as getting used to his new linemates, Hirose spent Monday’s practice working on the flank of Detroit’s power play.
“From what I’ve seen from some of the other guys who were in that spot earlier, it’s more of a shooter and I think a little different than what I’m used to,” Hirose said. “I’m more of a guy that has the puck.
“It’s just an easy adjustment to sort of get pucks through and keep it simple. When I get it, I’m looking to shoot. I think that’s sort of an easy thing to do, to just try to get pucks on net.”
Wings coach Jeff Blashill compared Hirose to former Wings forward Gustav Nyquist.
“He’s not super-fast or super-big but real crafty, real smart,” Blashill said. “He has tricks of ways to get open to create space and scoring chances.”
Lashoff In
A last-minute flare up of a back problem in the warm up Saturday led to Trevor Daley being scratched after the warm up and Brian Lashoff making his season debut in Detroit’s 2-1 win over the New York Islanders.
Daley is listed as day today. Jonathan Ericsson (sprained knee) has yet to resume skating, so the Wings are heading out on a five-game road trip with just six healthy defensemen.
“I would say right now we’ll go with the six and let’s see where Ericsson and Daley are at,” Blashill said. “If we needed to fly somebody in, we could fly somebody in.
“Right now we’ll go with the six.”
Pearson Signs
The Wings locked up one of their past draft picks when they signed center Chase Pearson to a two-year entry-level deal. Pearson, 21, was selected 140th overall in the 2015 NHL entry draft.
He spent the past three seasons with the Hockey East’s Maine Black Bears, the same school that sent Jimmy Howard and Nyquist to the Wings. He posted 16-13-29 numbers in 41 games with the Black Bears this season.
The 6-1, 200-pound center is the son of former NHL forward Scott Pearson. He’ll join the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins next week on an AHL pro tryout so that his entry-level pact doesn’t kick in until the start of the 2019-20 season.
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