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Get your game notes: Winter Classic, Maple Leafs at Red Wings

Pavel Datsyuk; James Reimer; John-Michael Liles

Detroit Red Wings’ Luke Glendening, left, battles for the puck with Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly during first period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Saturday, December 21, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

AP

Today on NBC, it’s the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2014 Winter Classic. The game will be played at the University of Michigan’s Big House and begin at 1 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:

• This is the 646th all-time regular-season meeting between Toronto and Detroit, in a rivalry that began on Jan. 4, 1927, when the Toronto St. Patricks (Canadian Division) edged the Detroit Cougars (American Division), 2-1, at the Border Cities Arena (“The Barn”) in Windsor, Ontario. In almost 87 years of hockey, the Original Six clubs have won the same number of head-to-head matchups in the regular season (276). Detroit has only one more playoff win (59-58).

• Since Mike Babcock became head coach of the Red Wings before the 2005-06 season, Detroit has the most regular-season wins in the NHL (394). The Maple Leafs have 299 wins (26th-most) under four head coaches (Pat Quinn, Paul Maurice, Ron Wilson, Randy Carlyle) during that span

• Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk is slated to become the first to play in three NHL Winter Classic games, having already represented Philadelphia in the 2010 and 2012 Winter Classics. Before van Riemsdyk, only goaltender Ty Conklin had played in three official NHL outdoor games (2003 Heritage Classic, 2008 and 2009 Winter Classics).

• Red Wings winger Daniel Alfredsson leads all active players in career goals vs. the Maple Leafs. (Elias)

Games Goals

Alfredsson 81 33

Jaromir Jagr 49 31

Dany Heatley 42 27

Alex Ovechkin 31 26

• With his next goal or assist, Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk (799 points) will become the sixth player in franchise history to register 800 points wearing the “Winged Wheel.” (Gordie Howe – 1,809, Steve Yzerman – 1,755, Alex del Vecchio – 1,281, Nicklas Lidstrom – 1,142, Sergei Fedorov – 954)

• Since joining the Maple Leafs via trade in 2009, winger Phil Kessel has the fifth-most regular-season goals in the NHL (136). Only Steven Stamkos (199), Alex Ovechkin (182), Corey Perry (151*) and Patrick Marleau (145*) have more. Kessel, who played with the U.S. national team development program in Ann Arbor from 2003-05, has 178 goals in his last 400 games. (* entering Dec. 31)

• The third period has not been kind for the Maple Leafs or Red Wings this season. The Wings are 9-2-4 (.600, 29th in the NHL) when leading after two, outscored 44-36 in third periods, while the Leafs are 1-10-0 (.091, 22nd) when trailing after two, outscored 45-34 in the final stanza.

• The Red Wings snapped their NHL-record 11-game losing streak in shootouts on Dec. 21 at Toronto. However, their active seven-game home shootout losing streak (since April 1, 2012) is the league’s longest since the Flyers went nine straight without a home shootout win (2010-12).

• The 2014 U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team will be announced immediately following the game. Three participants in this game – all with the Maple Leafs – have represented Team USA at previous Games: winger Phil Kessel (2010), defenseman John-Michael Liles (2006) and assistant coach Scott Gordon (1992). (Gordon also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. on the 2010 team).