GAME DAY: Yzerman visits old friends in Tampa with Detroit (7:00 p.m. ET, BSDET)

You’d be forgiven if you’ve forgotten the last meeting between the Detroit Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was nearly five months ago, after all.

These two teams last faced each other at Little Caesars Arena way back on Oct. 14, 2021. Playing in their season-opening game, the Red Wings carried a 6–3 lead into the final seven minutes of regulation; the Bolts proceeded to score four answered goals and took the game in overtime by a 7–6 score.

If you’ve chosen to repress the part about the Red Wings blowing a late three-goal lead, you might instead remember it as the game where @Tyler Bertuzzi scored four goals.

As expected, the Lightning remain one of the National Hockey League’s top teams after capturing the last two Stanley Cups. They have a 7–2–1 record in their last 10 games and rank second in the Atlantic Division with a 35–12–6 record in 2021–22.

Detroit is in the midst of a relatively middling season, albeit one significantly improved from recent years. Bolstered by the play of rookies @Moritz Seider, @Lucas Raymond, and @Alex Nedeljkovic, the Red Wings rank fifth in the Atlantic — and 13 points out of a playoff spot — with a 24–24–6 record.

The Red Wings most recently took on the high-flying Carolina Hurricanes on Mar. 1 and managed to defeat them in overtime by a 4–3 score. @Dylan Larkin tallied late in the third period to tie the game before Raymond won it for the Red Wings in extra time.

Projected lineup via Daily Faceoff:

@Vladislav Namestnikov – @Dylan Larkin – @Lucas Raymond
@Tyler Bertuzzi – @Pius Suter – @Robby Fabbri
@Michael Rasmussen – @Joe Veleno – @Filip Zadina
@Adam Erne – @Carter Rowney – @Sam Gagner

@Nick Leddy  – @Moritz Seider
@Marc Staal – @Troy Stecher
@Jordan Oesterle – @Filip Hronek

Projected starter: @Alex Nedeljkovic (15–15–5, .903 SV%)

Projected lineup via Daily Faceoff:

@Ondrej Palat – @Brayden Point – @Nikita Kucherov
@Alex Killorn – @Steven Stamkos – @Mathieu Joseph
@Ross Colton – @Anthony Cirelli – @Taylor Raddysh
@Patrick Maroon – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – @Corey Perry

@Victor Hedman – @Mikhail Sergachev
@Ryan McDonagh – @Erik Cernak
@Jan Rutta – @Andrej Sustr

Projected starter: @Brian Elliott (5–2–2, .902 SV%)

Detroit: @Dylan Larkin (27 goals, 56 points); @Tyler Bertuzzi (23 goals, 45 points); @Lucas Raymond (16 goals, 43 points); @Moritz Seider (five goals, 40 points); @Filip Hronek (five goals, 28 points).

Tampa Bay: @Steven Stamkos (26 goals, 60 points); @Victor Hedman (11 goals, 51 points); @Alex Killorn (16 goals, 45 points); @Brayden Point (21 goals, 40 points); @Ondrej Palat (15 goals, 34 points).

Detroit: Like Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, @Adam Erne is a former member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s been a tough third season in Detroit for Erne, with the 26-year-old forward having scored just once since Nov. 24, 2021. During the 2020–21 campaign, Erne managed 11 goals in just 45 contests; this year, he has four goals in 53 games.

Tampa Bay: @Nikita Kucherov was held off the board entirely during Tampa’s 5–1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, ending his own personal streak of recording exactly one goal and one assist in four consecutive games. The 28-year-old winger has provided a huge boost to the Bolts since making his return from injury on Jan. 6, recording nine goals and 22 points in 15 contests.

Friday’s game at Amalie Arena will be broadcast on Bally Sports Detroit starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. It’ll be sent over the airwaves on WXYT-FM 97.1 “The Ticket” in the Detroit area, as well as on the Red Wings’ official website.

Looking to up your fantasy hockey game? DailyFaceoff has the tools you need for both daily and season-long fantasy leagues, including a lineup optimizer, daily projections, and a whole lot more. Sign up for the DailyFaceoff tools here.