Tampa Bay @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 18, 2018 ) Detroit 1, Tampa Bay 3

The NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning look to continue their mastery in the all-time series when they visit the improving Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday for an Atlantic Division matchup. The Lightning dominated New Jersey 5-1 on Monday for their eighth win in 10 overall games and seek a 13th consecutive victory over the Red Wings - a streak that includes a 3-1 victory at home on Oct. 18 and four straight in Detroit.

Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov is one of the hottest players in the league after recording a goal and three assists in Monday’s win to extend his point streak to 10 games - a stretch during which he has netted five tallies and set up 19 others. Detroit last played the Lightning during its frustrating 1-7-2 start to the season but is a much different team after going 11-5-1 over its last 17 games despite suffering a 2-0 home loss to Colorado on Sunday. The Red Wings won an emotional contest in Boston on Saturday and was within a goal against the high-powered Avalanche despite registering only 24 shots until Gabriel Landeskog’s empty-netter with 59 seconds remaining sealed the setback. “I don’t think playing (Saturday) had anything to do with it,” Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall told reporters. “We just had too many turnovers that left us with too much time in our zone for no reason.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (20-7-1): Louis Domingue has started 11 straight games in net since Andrei Vasilevskiy went down with a foot injury, but 28-year-old Eddie Pasquale could make his NHL debut on Tuesday. Kucherov has climbed to third in the league in scoring with his torrid stretch and tops the team with 42 points - five more than linemate Brayden Point, who has collected six of his team-high 20 goals and five assists during his six-game point streak. Captain Steven Stamkos (25 points) has scored two goals and set up two others over his last three games while defenseman Ryan McDonagh (20 points, plus-18 rating) notched a pair of assists on Monday.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (12-12-3): Tyler Bertuzzi, who is tied for third on the team with 16 points, was suspended for two games after his conduct in the loss to Colorado, but coach Jeff Blashill has liked the fight from his team of late. “We’ll go a lot further sticking up for each other than any downside of losing guys (on fighting penalties),” Blashill told the Detroit Free Press after two straight physical games. “They’re real good players, but we’re going to win in this room as a group and we’re going to win fighting for each other.” Leading scorer Dylan Larkin (10 goals, 22 points) went through concussion protocol on Sunday but should be in the lineup against Tampa Bay.

OVERTIME

1. Detroit D Mike Green, who has recorded five points in his last five games, has collected 12 goals and 21 assists in 55 career contests against Tampa Bay.

2. Kucherov needs one power-play goal to break the tie with Vinny Prospal (44) for fifth place on the franchise list.

3. Red Wings G Jimmy Howard posted a .930 save percentage in November and stopped 38-of-40 shots in Boston on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Red Wings 3