Detroit Red Wings: Tyler Bertuzzi’s hot start gets halted by road trip

The Detroit Red Wings are 2-1-1 after the first four games of the 2021-22 season. They are heading out of Hockeytown on a three-game road trip, the first stop being across the border. Tonight the Red Wings will take on the Montreal Canadiens at The Bell Centre.

That being said, the Detroit Red Wings will not be able to have forward Tyler Bertuzzi in the lineup even after the hot start he has been off to. Bertuzzi has come out of the gates firing on all cylinders but will have to kill some mojo since the team is traveling.

Due to a personal decision to remain unvaccinated, which is 100% Bertuzzi’s choice, he is forgoing the opportunity to play any away games in Canada. With the Canadian border crossing rules and travel regulations for the NHL this year requiring players to be vaccinated, Bertuzzi will stay home.

While I’m not going to get into Bertuzzi’s personal decision, right or wrong, it’s his choice, and let’s all leave it at that. This is about hockey. Bertuzzi being out of the Red Wings lineup leaves a hole for tonight’s game, and that means someone needs to step up. Especially after a hot start to the 2021-22 season.

Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi will miss tonight’s game in Montreal.

As the Red Wings continue on with their season, Bertuzzi will look to stay hot even after a night off. He logged four games and has scored five goals while adding an assist for six total points. It’s an excellent start for the winger after coming off of injury.

He was in a tough spot last year after an injury ended his season after just nine total games. Bertuzzi scored five goals and added two assists in last year’s efforts before his season was deemed over.

But tonight, Bertuzzi will have the night off and not even be in attendance with the team. Heading into the game, the team will have to move the lines around to fill the void. Moving up someone could be detrimental to the second line, which seems to also be firing on all cylinders.

Bertuzzi’s replacement may be better served as calling someone up from the third or fourth line. Someone like Adam Erne or Givani Smith could keep that second line intact and allow some more protection for the first line.

Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond are going to need another linemate; the question is who it will be. Smith might not be a horrible addition to the top line in an enforcer role with this new physical game the Red Wings have been playing.

That being said, let’s see how the lineup shakes out.