The Detroit Red Wings visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night in Game Eighty-One at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, with Detroit at 41-30-9 and Tampa Bay at 49-25-6. The Red Wings were eliminated from playoff contention after their loss on Saturday, leaving them to finish out the season with little left but pride.
For the Lightning, the game still matters. They had not faced an opponent not fighting for a postseason spot or a division lead since they played the Calgary Flames on March 22, and they still have a chance to finish atop their division. They also can still finish ahead of Montreal for home ice in the first round if they do not catch Buffalo, so this is not a throwaway night for Tampa Bay even with the standings tightening elsewhere.
Sunday's matchup is the latest in a season where Tampa Bay has had to manage injuries and uncertainty. Zemgus Girgensons missed a game, Darren Raddysh missed a game, and Brandon Hagel returned to play against the Bruins after /ABC crew speculation that he might sit out the next two games. Andrei Vasilevskiy has already appeared in 57 games this year, another reminder of how much has been asked of the Lightning as the schedule grinds down.
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Detroit added to the picture on Sunday by recalling forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions. The move gives the Red Wings another available body as they try to get through the final stretch, while Tampa Bay comes off a 1-3 road trip in which Emil Lilleberg's late third-period goal against Boston was the first lead the Lightning had in any game on that trip.
That mix of stakes and fatigue has been a familiar one in recent meetings between these teams, which have a history of playing entertaining games against each other. The difference now is that Tampa Bay is still chasing something concrete while Detroit is not, and that should shape how hard both clubs have to work for every point on Sunday. The broadcast options are The Spot, FDSNDET, +, 102.5 FM and the Lightning App.
