Updated 4x at 12:59 PM: The Detroit Red Wings hope to snap a 10-game losing streak when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning this evening (7:30 PM EST on FSD/FS Sun/97.1 FM).
Our friends in Tampa Bay are annoyed with themselves after dropping 2 straight games, and the Bolts will be desperate to bolster their status in a dogfight for the Atlantic Division title when they play the Wings this evening.
The Lightning took to the ice first at Amalie Arena for their morning skate, per Fox Sports Sun’s Paul Kennedy…
@TBLightning Morning Skate underway with @CoopersLaw offering instruction. Seeking four game regular season sweep of @DetroitRedWings 7pm @FOXSportsBolts pic.twitter.com/jSUd4tZpGF
— Paul Kennedy (@PaulKennedyFOX) February 15, 2018
The Lightning said, “Hello”…
Hi, boys! ?#DETvsTBL | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/9BGwGSFMzI
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 15, 2018
The Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith then weighed in with some line combos…
No Point at skate. #TBLightning lines: Namestnikov-Stamkos-Kucherov/Gourde-Conacher-johnson/Killorn-Peca-Erne/Kunitz-Paquette-Callahan
— Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) February 15, 2018
Brayden Point is not here due to body maintenance #TBLightning
Not sure who’s out on “D” for
#TBLightning, but Dotchin didn’t help himself Tuesday in Buffalo. Bad penalty in third which Cooper brought up
No surprise here:
Vasilevskiy first off ice. Will start for
#TBLightning
Caley Chelios also said, “Hi”…
Brayden Point not the ice for #Bolts morning skate, day-to-day body maintenance.
— Caley Chelios (@CaleyChelios) February 15, 2018
After the Bolts’ skate, per the Lightning…
Cooper: “The guys, in the end, we still like where we are in the standings. Would we like to win every game? We would. But it’s 82 games and the guys are giving us everything they have.” #DETvsTBL
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 15, 2018
Cooper on Detroit: “It always seems like there’s a little game within the game when we play them. It should amp up the emotional side.”
#DETvsTBLCallahan: “Our defensive hockey [as a whole team] has to be better, there’s no doubt about that… If we do that, our game will be a lot better.” #DETvsTBL
Callahan: “The building always seems to be rocking when we play Detroit and we’re going to feed off that.” #DETvsTBL
Gourde: “We have to get back to what we do best: Playing with energy. We have to have that mentality and be relentless on the puck.” #DETvsTBL
Gourde on the success of his season so far: “I’m just trying to go out there and do my job, play the best I can.” #DETvsTBL
Per Smith…
Koekkoek, Dotchin, Conacher likely out (long as Point plays) Cooper always tells me to “show up + find out” lineup. What’s the fun in that?
And, per WDAE:
AUDIO : Tampa Bay Lightning AM Skate (2-15-18 vs DET) https://t.co/TlZcuWUFO2
— WDAE (@620wdae) February 15, 2018
The Red Wings took to the ice at 11:30 for their morning skate, per the Free Press’s Helene St. James…
Red Wings morning skate getting underway here in Tampa. ? ☀ pic.twitter.com/h5SdmKddze
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) February 15, 2018
After the Red Wings’ morning skate, well…there are no updates yet. I’ll post them shortly.
Update: From St. James:
Hearing Andreas Athanasiou out tonight because of illness. David Booth subbing in. #DETvsTBL
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) February 15, 2018
Update #2: The Lightning’s website has posted pre-game comments from Yanni Gourde and Ryan Callahan;
Update #3:
Morning work complete. #RedWings, Lightning at 7:30PM tonight on @FOXSportsDet & @971theticketxyt. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/aLDthOQkEQ
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 15, 2018
Update #4: Here’s coach Jon Cooper’s pre-game comment video:
FYI:
We’re on the road against the @ManitobaMoose tonight at 8PM. Catch it live on @AHLLive, @WOODRADIO or follow along on your #Griffins app! #GoGRG #GRvsMB pic.twitter.com/1srrMVetmQ
— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) February 15, 2018
If you missed the hockey conversation between @ShepMatt and @TBTimes_JSmith, catch it on demand!: https://t.co/7IAGPUhAsX
— 1130 AM WDFN The Fan (@1130WDFN) February 15, 2018
Hey #Hockeytown, here’s your chance to win suite tickets at @LCArena_Detroit! #LGRW
Enter: https://t.co/8hbl9KHF7d pic.twitter.com/YRjRbmtZmE
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 15, 2018
Fishy that after a day talking about AA being benched he’s “out sick”. He obviously could be sick of course but… you really wonder what’s actually up there. This is why I just wish they’d trade him and get something good for him now. You get the feeling as long as he’s in DET, this is goign to be the case…
Still makes me shake my head every time DET plays TB now and I see Yanni Gourde in the lineup. Man did so many teams drop the ball on not getting him… he played 3 years on Worcester (with ECHL stops in San Francisco and Kzoo) under the Sharks’ noses but because he’s not a big body they ignored him. And then Tampa sees something they like and signs him, and they wait for him a few more years, and now here he is in the NHL with 22 Goals already this season.
Why can’t DET do that anymore?
Both AA and Mrazek have $omehow developed a me 1st, team 2nd aura in the press and chats. Is this even true? Does it effect the team around them? Does their obvious top talent make a business decision to trade them now wrong?
I think if staff handed out more ice benefits at the right times this would not even be a conversation, and i would be cheering more frequently. Get “well” soon AA!
There you go Blash, AA was going to be a force vs Bolts. Blash has too big a mouth, AA just closed it. LOL