Time: 7:00 PM EST
Place: Amalie Arena, Tampa FL
TV: BSDET, BSSUN
Radio: WXYT-97.1 FM
Lightning Blog: Raw Charge
Detroit faces the team that they would very much like to actually be rivals with at some point for a Friday night matchup against the Bay Lightning from Tampa.
Tampa comes in after having played the Penguins last night while Detroit is rested an extra day from having beaten the Carolina Hurricanes in OT on Wednesday. This is just the second of four meetings between these two teams in a scheduling plan that was perhaps a little hopeful that there would be playoff implications with three meetings happening in the last two months of the season.
Either that or the schedulemakers were trying to give the Bolts the benefit of coasting into the postseason. Although Tankathon’s strength of schedule calculator doesn’t really bear that out with Tampa being in the middle of the pack there.
Last time these teams met, Tampa won a wild overtime comeback 7-6 victory that was a lot of fun for Wings fans to watch because at least it was competitive.
Dare I say expectations for the team to do even better now are perhaps higher? Are we really about to say we’d be let down if the Wings lose this game to the Bolts? Hell, I am. I don’t care about expectations. I want a win. I already enjoyed a moral victory. I want an actual one.
Call me greedy; LGRW
