Detroit City Wire

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings aim to extend their winning streak to eight games as they face the Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday afternoon. This matchup marks the final game before the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off break.

The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, with TV coverage available on ABC/ESPN+ and radio coverage on 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. The Red Wings have split their two previous encounters with the Lightning this season, suffering a 5-1 defeat at AMALIE Arena on January 18 and securing a 2-0 victory at home on January 25.

"All [games] are important, especially against a divisional opponent," Lucas Raymond stated. "It always means more, especially the way the standings are right now. But at the same time, for us, we need to play our game."

Detroit recently concluded a successful four-game Western road trip with a 5-4 shootout win over the Seattle Kraken. Head coach McLellan praised his team's performance during this stretch: "Those buildings are tough to play in and those are good teams... The trip itself was special, but it’s in the past now."

J.T. Compher is expected to return to Detroit's lineup after missing five games due to an upper-body injury sustained on January 25. Compher expressed optimism about his return: "I felt like we did a good job getting back into the swing of things."

In his absence, Compher has maintained focus by skating while the team was away: "You see guys throughout the lineup checking and playing the right way... finding ways to secure points and giving yourself a chance by playing well in late-game situations is what our team did a really good job of."

The Lightning enter Saturday's contest tied with Ottawa Senators for third place in the Atlantic Division, just one point ahead of Detroit. They come off consecutive victories against Ottawa.

Nikita Kucherov leads Tampa Bay offensively with impressive statistics this season, while Brayden Point has scored a team-high 29 goals. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy boasts strong numbers as well.

"The focus has to be on playing hard and a good 60 minutes," McLellan emphasized regarding their upcoming challenge against Tampa Bay.