7:37 pm
March 9

Lightning @ Red Wings

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tampa Bay Lightning (17-4-2)

@ Detroit Red Wings (7-16-3)

 

Starting Goalies:

Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB): Unconfirmed

Jonathan Bernier (DET): Unconfirmed

 

Current odds:

Tampa Bay Lightning: (-340)

Detroit Red Wings: (+280)

 

• The defending Stanley Cup champions have caught fire, and a pair of games against the Central Division’s last-place team cannot be expected to cool them off. The Tampa Bay Lighting are 7-0-1 over their last eight games and have taken over first place in the division. They now head to Detroit to face the reeling Red Wings on Tuesday and Thursday. Tampa Bay has dominated the series in recent years, carrying a remarkable 19-game point streak (18-0-1) against the Wings, dating back to Nov. 3, 2016.

• The Lighting equaled their season-high in goals Sunday afternoon in defeating Chicago 6-3. They rallied from a 3-0 deficit, taking the lead by the end of the second period with a four-goal flurry. Tampa Bay’s power play was particularly potent, producing four of the six goals. Yanni Gourde led the offensive surge with two goals and two assists. He has eight goals and seven assists this season.

• Earlier in the current streak, Tampa Bay relied on a hot goaltender as Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded shutouts in three consecutive starts. Vasilevskiy gave up three goals on Sunday but the offensive support allowed him to notch his 15th victory. He was the winning goaltender in the Lighting’s two home victories over Detroit in early February by scores of 5-1 and 3-1. Vasilevskiy has a 10-0 career record against the Red Wings.

• Detroit, in the meantime, has lost three in a row, allowing 16 goals in the process. The Wings haven’t played since a 5-2 loss to Carolina on Thursday.

• Team captain and first-line center Dylan Larkin didn’t play in those games due to an upper-body injury. He returned to practice on Sunday.

• Defenseman Troy Stecher, who has been sidelined the last seven games with a lower-body issue, also practiced.

• Detroit begins a six-game homestand on Tuesday.

7/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Tampa Bay Lightning
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