So the matchup looks like this. Winnipeg's forwards scored 3 goals in an opener and its goaltending gave up 4. Detroit's goaltending held a good Rangers team to 2 and its forwards produced nothing. Puck drop is 1:00 PM ET at Little Caesars Arena. Both clubs come off Friday home openers with nothing on the schedule in between, so neither team has a rest edge.
For Detroit, the question is whether anyone can drive a line while Larkin is out. Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Dorofeyev each had a goal and an assist in the opener, and Adam Fox set up both goals. That is a top-heavy Rangers group beating a Red Wings lineup that is missing its top-line center. Against Skinner, Detroit's shooters should get more chances to make a goalie look shaky than they got against New York.
Winnipeg is also breaking in young players. Forward Viggo Bjorck and defenseman Tyrel Bauer made their NHL debuts against Boston, with Bjorck on the 2nd line and Bauer on the 3rd pair, per TSN. The Jets also have Garrett Brown, Walker Duehr and Elias Salomonsson on injured reserve, which tests the bottom of the roster early. Jeremy Swayman shut them out over the final 23 minutes on Friday, and how they respond to that will say a lot about their 5-on-5 game when the power play isn't connecting.
No betting board has posted for this one yet, which is probably right. The goalie in Winnipeg's crease and the top center in Detroit's lineup are both temporary answers. Sunday is a chance to see how each roster looks without its star, before Larkin's possible Tuesday return changes the picture for Detroit.