PREVIEW: Detroit opens weekend back-to-back set with Friday matinee against Tampa Bay

DETROIT – Continuing a busy holiday stretch of four games in six days, the Detroit Red Wings will face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena for a Black Friday matinee.

Puck drop for the second matchup in the season series between Detroit (13-10-1; 27 points) and Tampa Bay (14-7-2; 30 points) is set for 12 p.m., with broadcast coverage on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket). The Red Wings last squared off against the Lightning on Oct. 17, earning a 2-1 overtime win at Little Caesars Arena.

Focused on tightening up its all-around game, Detroit most recently fell to the Nashville Predators, 6-3, at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday. Although the score was tied at three apiece early in the third period, the Red Wings went on to surrender three unanswered goals to the Predators and ultimately dropped their second consecutive game.

“Our intensity wasn’t there,” Lucas Raymond said when discussing the final frame of Wednesday’s game. “I think throughout most of the game, we weren’t strong over pucks. That really showed in that third period. Not nearly good enough.”

A lack of execution and game management against Nashville was also reiterated by Moritz Seider.

“I think they do things really well, and we just weren’t really prepared for that,” Seider said about the Predators. “That probably comes with a little bit of a lack of intensity. Other than that, you’re still in it in the third. We just got to find ways to get the puck out of your own net and score more goals.”

Currently leading the Atlantic Division, Tampa Bay stretched its winning streak to five consecutive games with a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames at AMALIE Arena on Wednesday.

Nikita Kucherov paces the Lightning with 27 points, including a club-best 16 assists, while Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel are tied for second in scoring with identical stat lines (24 points on 12 goals and 12 assists). Netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy is off to a strong start this season, posting a 10-5-2 record, 2.28 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and one shutout in 17 contests.

“We just got to turn the page here and regroup,” Seider said. “We got another back-to-back coming.”