PREVIEW: Red Wings aim to set early tone on Thursday, hosting Canadiens for first-ever Sweden Night at Little Caesars Arena

DETROIT -- Several Swedes have worn the Winged Wheel over the years, with stars like Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall and others helping establish a tradition of excellence between Sweden and the Detroit Red Wings.

That rich history will be celebrated Thursday, when the Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens for the first-ever Sweden Night at Little Caesars Arena.

Puck drop between Detroit (7-5-1; 15 points) and Montreal (5-5-2; 12 points) is set for 7 p.m., with TV broadcast coverage on Bally Sports Detroit. Ken Kal is set to return to the radio booth after an extended absence due to illness, rejoining Paul Woods and Daniella Bruce on the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

When reflecting on Tuesday’s 5-3 road loss to the New York Rangers, head coach Derek Lalonde said he hopes Detroit can apply lessons learned from its first period against New York moving forward.

“(The Rangers) got a ton of zone time, were creating rebounds, slicing everything on net and made us defend,” Lalonde said. “They won that period on the scoreboard and territorially. We have to do similar in our next approach. It’ll be our goal and now it’s up to our guys to execute it.”

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin did not participate in Wednesday’s optional practice after playing through a nagging upper-body issue on Tuesday, but Lalonde said the 27-year-old forward will be available against the Canaidens. Robby Fabbri (lower-body injury) will not be available for Thursday’s game.

“(Austin) Czarnik will be back in for Fabs," Lalonde said after Thursday's morning skate. "Going to give Fabs a little more time to get up to speed."

Montreal enters Tuesday on a four-game winless streak, most recently dropping a 5-3 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Cole Caufield (4-8—12) and Sean Monahan (6-5—11) are the club’s top two scorers through 12 games this season. Goalies Sam Montembeault and Jake Allen have split the starting duties, combining for a 3.21 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

Kal pens personal note to Red Wings community

A personal note from longtime radio play-by-play voice of the Red Wings:

“I’m feeling better and thankful to be back in the play-by-play chair. Bob Kaser is a true pro who came in on short notice and filled in admirably.

“I first want to thank all the medical staff who helped me through my recovery. I’d like to offer my special thanks to (Red Wings head athletic trainer) Piet VanZant and (physical therapist) Russ Baumann for their care, especially when I was unwell in Ottawa.

“To the people working in hockey operations – management and coaching staff – as well as the players who reached out to me, your support is very much appreciated. A special thanks also goes to the various Red Wings radio, television and team staff members who checked in on me almost every day.

“Last, but certainly not least, thank you to the fans for your prayers and the outpouring of love I’ve received. I’m just glad all is well. Your continued listening and support means a lot.”