Red Wings at Lightning
The Detroit Red Wings look to break even on their four-game road trip when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. Detroit fell to 1-2-0 on its trek with a 3-1 loss at Florida on Thursday as it allowed the game's first three goals before Erik Cole finally got the club on the scoreboard midway through the third period. It was the fifth loss in seven contests for the Red Wings, who trail the Lightning by six points for second place in the Atlantic Division.
Tampa Bay has been idle since Monday, when it skated to a 4-2 triumph over division-leading Montreal. Captain Steven Stamkos scored two goals and set up another as the Lightning improved to 1-1-0 on their six-game homestand. Tampa Bay won the first two installments of the four-game season series, recording a shootout victory in Detroit on Nov. 9 before routing the Red Wings 5-1 at home on Jan. 29.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NHLN, RSN360, TVA, FSN Detroit, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (38-20-11): Cole's goal against the Panthers was his second in eight games with Detroit and 20th overall this season. It marked the sixth time the 36-year-old has reached the plateau in his career and first since netting a career-high 35 tallies in 2011-12 with Montreal. Pavel Datsyuk is expected to miss his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (43-21-7): Ondrej Palat, who originally was expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a lower-body injury he suffered last Tuesday, could be in the lineup against the Red Wings. The 23-year-old Czech, who with 52 points is seven shy of his career high set last season, has sat out three contests thus far. "I missed a couple games, but I can't wait to be back with the boys on the ice and get ready for the playoffs."
OVERTIME
1. The Red Wings had their streak of nine straight games with a power-play goal snapped Thursday as they went 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
2. Like Palat, Tampa Bay C Cedric Paquette (upper body) practiced Thursday but is not yet ready to return to the lineup.
3. Detroit's current struggles has left it only four points ahead of Boston for third place in the Atlantic.