Red Wings at Panthers
If the Detroit Red Wings are going to improve their chances of home-ice advantage in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, they'll have to do it without one of the best players in the league. The Red Wings' four-game road swing heads to the Sunshine State on Thursday as they tangle with the Florida Panthers. Detroit is coming off an impressive 5-1 win over Pittsburgh, but will be without star forward Pavel Datsyuk for the next two games.
With Datsyuk recovering from a lower-body injury, the Red Wings will be in tough to replace his offense heading into a pivotal back-to-back against the plucky Panthers and the formidable Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida's post-season hopes are in serious peril following consecutive losses to the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, but it has won two of three meetings with Detroit this season. Thursday marks the second of a three-game homestand for the Panthers.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS-D (Detroit), FS-F (Florida)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (38-19-11): Detroit coach Mike Babcock isn't worried as he sees Datsyuk's absence as an opportunity for other players to step up and assume a greater role. "Having Pavel out gives him an opportunity to get rested up," Babcock said, "but gives other guys a real opportunity to take a jump. Riley Sheahan gets to play more. (Joakim Andersson) gets to play more. It's an opportunity for these guys and to me that's what it's all about. When you get an opportunity what do you do with it?"
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (31-25-14): Florida has played solid hockey for the majority of the month of March, but is just 4-3-1 and is all but out of the East playoff picture following Tuesday's 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Canadiens. "We played a pretty good game again, but no points," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant told the Miami Herald. "We know we have a long way to go." It was the latest in a handful of disappointing results - highlighted by a one-goal loss to the Rangers in which Florida attempted 98 shots but scored just once.
OVERTIME
1. Detroit has won five of the last six meetings in Florida.
2. The Red Wings have won nine straight road games against teams with losing home marks.
3. Nine of the last 10 encounters have been decided by a goal.