Win the battle in front, win the game: Red Wings at Lightning Preview

Game Sixty-Four: Detroit Red Wings (36-22-7) at Tampa Bay Lightning (39-20-4)

Time: 7:00 PM EST

Location: Benchmark International Arena, Where the first event hosted after changing the name was Monster Jam featuring Grave Digger and El Toro Loco

TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App

Odds: Lightning -205

Know the Opponents: Winging it in Motown

Tonight’s match-up between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings feature a couple of banged up teams that have scuffled since the Olympic Break. The Lightning are 4-6-2 in their last 10 and are missing Nick Paul and Erik Cernak from the line-up while the Red Wings are 4-5-1 and are without the services of their top two centers in Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp.

With both teams struggling, they will turn to their netminders to help them stop their slide. John Gibson has been pretty solid since the break, posting a .926 SV% and 4.85 GSAx while going 2-2-0. Andrei Vasilevskiy, well, he’s had better stretches. The Big Cat is at a .873 SV% and -0.56 GSAx while going 2-4-0. Very un-Vasy, Very Not Cool.

That being said, he has looked a little sharper in recent outings as he has allowed fewer goals than expected based on the shot values. He could be primed for one of those Andrei Vasilevskiy games where he puts the team on his back and carries them until they figure out how to get out of their defensive zone.

The team, to a player, has talked about needing to clean up their breakouts and get back to the quick transition game that is a hallmark of their success. The turnovers and failed clearing chances in their own zone have been a big problem of late, and it’s led to an uptick of not only scoring chances, but dangerous ones for their opponents.

The Lightning have allowed over 15 HDCA/60 at 5v5 in each of their last three games. Prior to the break, the Bolts averaged 9.53 HDCA/60 for the entire season, the best mark in the league. The biggest problem when they fail to clear the puck is that their coverage in the zone starts to get scrambled and they lose their defensive shape. That opens up prime scoring areas for the opponents and makes Vasilevskiy’s life a lot more difficult.

Look for the Bolts to get back to quicker, more efficient clears as they focus on getting the puck not only out of their zone, but on the other side of the center ice line. If they can get back to doing that on a regular basis, it will ease the pressure on the defense and get their offense going.

Paul and Cernak are out for tonight’s game, but Coach Cooper says that they will be day-to-day from here on out. Emil Lilleberg was in a red no-contact sweater at the morning skate, so expect him to be out for a little longer. As for the Red Wings, they announced that Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp will be out for at least two weeks.

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Detroit Red Wings

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