DETROIT VS TAMPA BAY
- Tonight marks the 35th all-time meeting between DET and TB
- Tonight marks the 3rd of 5 meetings this season between DET and TB, 2nd of 3 in DET
- DET’s all-time record vs. TB: 25-5-2-2
- DET’s all-time home record vs. TB: 13-1-1-1
- DET hasn’t lost in regulation to TB since 1/7/03 (7-0-1-2 [W-L-T-OTL] since)
- TB has only won twice at JLA: 1/12/94 and 11/9/13
- Daniel Alfredsson has 71 points (26-45-71) in 61 games vs. TB
- Alfredsson had a career-high 7 points (3-4-7) on 1/24/08 at TB
- Pavel Datsyuk has 13 points (7-6-13) in 9 games vs. TB
- Johan Franzen has 6 points (2-4-6) in 6 games vs. TB
- TB F Valtteri Filppula had 251 points (100-151-251) in 483 games with DET from 2005-13
- TB F Tom Pyatt had 200 points (94-106-200) in 240 games with the Saginaw Spirit from 2003-07
- TB D Matthew Carle played for the US National Development Team in Ann Arbor from 2000-02
- TB D Matt Taormina is from Warren, MI
- TB head coach Jon Cooper graduated from Cooley Law School in Lansing and helped Lansing Catholic Central to a championship in 1999. Cooper also coached the Jr. B Metro Jets (Waterford Twp.) and Honeybaked Midget Major (Oak Park)- TB’s Steve Yzerman is 2-2 in 4 meetings as a GM against his former team
- TB has 3 more former Red Wings on staff: Assistant GM Pat Verbeek (1999-01), Player Development Coach Steve Thomas (2003-04) and Scout Jamie Pushor (1995-98)

CALDER CUP CONNECTION
Detroit and Tampa Bay watched their AHL affiliates meet in the Calder Cup Finals last June. The Red Wings’ prospects came out on top, as the Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the Syracuse Crunch in 6 games. Each team has had several players from that series who have played in at least one NHL regular season game this season:
DET: Adam Almquist*, Joakim Andersson, Danny DeKeyser, Luke Glendening, Petr Mrazek, Gustav Nyquist, Brian Lashoff, Tomas Tatar
TB: Mark Barberio, J. T. Brown, Brett Connolly*, Radko Gudas, Tyler Johnson, Brian Lee, Ondrej Palat, Richard Panik, Andrej Sustr, Matt Taormina
* = not active

RED WINGS PLAYER STATS AND LEAGUE RANKS
- Pavel Datsyuk –T22nd with 13 goals, T12th with 5 PP goals, 1st with 41 takeaways
- Niklas Kronwall –T25th with 18 assists, T17th with a +13, T6th among defensemen with 21 points (4-18-22)
- Johan Franzen –T14th with 3 GWG
- Justin Abdelkader –11th with 103 hits
- Jonas Gustavsson –5th with a 1.93 GAA, T6th with a .933 SV%

RED WINGS TEAM STATS
- DET’s power play ranks T11th in the NHL at 18.8%
- DET’s penalty kill is 9th in the NHL at 84.2%
- DET has the 3rd-worst winning % in the NHL when leading after 2 periods: 0.600
- DET is T8th in minor penalties (130) but average the 2nd-fewest PIM per game (8.6)
- DET is 4th in with 252 takeaways, trailing only CAR (334), CHI (302) and NYI (269)
- DET has lost 6 shootouts this season and an NHL record 11 straight overall (last W: 2/28/13 at SJ)
- DET has lost its last 11 home OT games, the longest streak in the NHL since 1986-87
- DET has won 2 of its last 14 home games (2-6-6)

MILESTONE WATCH
- Kyle Quincey –300th NHL game, 10/15 vs. CBJ
- Quincey –100th NHL point, 10/30 at VAN
- Niklas Kronwall –200th NHL assist, 11/1 at CGY
- Mike Babcock –800th NHL game as head coach, 11/1 at CGY
- Stephen Weiss –250th NHL assist, 11/4 vs. WPG
- Pavel Datsyuk –800th NHL game, 11/16 at NYI (14th Wing to 800 games)
- Henrik Zetterberg –700th NHL point, 11/24 at BUF
- Daniel Alfredsson –1,200th NHL game, 11/29 at NYI
- Mikael Samuelsson –300th game with DET, 12/6 at NJ
- Dan Cleary –900th NHL game, 12/10 at FLA
- Jonathan Ericsson –300th NHL game, 12/12 at TB
- Daniel Alfredsson –1 assist to 700
- Jonas Gustavsson –1 win to 50
- Stephen Weiss –2 points to 400, 3 goals to 150
- Mikael Samuelsson –3 assists to 200
- Mike Babcock –9 wins to 400 with DET

THIS DATE IN RED WINGS HISTORY
December 15, 1979 –The Red Wings tie the Quebec Nordiques 4-4 in the last NHL game played at Olympia Stadium.

December 15, 1985 –Red Wings tough guy Bob Probert registers his first NHL point in a 6-4 loss at Chicago.

December 15, 2010 –For the first time in his 19-season career, Nicklas Lidstrom nets a career-best three goals in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues at JLA.

A WINNING TRADITION IN HOCKEYTOWN
Since the start of the 1997-98 season, the Red Wings have won more games (836) than any other team in the NHL. Detroit’s 723 regular season victories and 113 playoff wins are both tops in the NHL over that span.

SELLOUT STREAK CONTINUES AT THE JOE
Detroit’s home sellout streak improved to 120 games after last night’s game vs. PIT. The current streak began on Dec. 19, 2010 when
Detroit hosted the Dallas Stars at Joe Louis Arena.

2013-14 REGULAR SEASON TEAM HIGHS AND LOWS
Most GF Game: 6, Nov. 27 vs. BOS
Most GF Period: 3, three times (MR: Nov. 29 at NYI, 3rd)
Most SOG Game: 47, Nov. 21 vs. CAR
Most SOG Period: 18, Nov. 21 vs. CAR, 3rd
Fewest SOG Game: 21, Dec. 6 at NJ
Fewest SOG Period: 3, twice (MR: Dec. 14 vs. PIT, 3rd)
Most PPG Game: 3, Oct. 12 vs. PHI
Most PIM Game: 23, Nov. 23 vs. OTT
Fewest PIM Game: 2, Nov. 29 at NYI
Fastest Consecutive Goals: 0:27, Nov. 2 at EDM (Helm, Tatar)
Fastest Goal, Start of Game: 0:17, Nov. 21 vs. CAR (Nyquist)
Fastest Goal, Start of Period: 0:12, Nov. 29 at NYI (Alfredsson)

2013-14 REGULAR SEASON INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS
Most Goals: 2, 12 times (MR: Tatar, Dec. 5 vs. PHI)
Most Assists: 3, five times (MR: Franzen, Nov. 27 vs. BOS)
Most Points: 3, 10 times (MR: Alfredsson, Nov. 29 at NYI)
Most SOG: 10, Zetterberg, Oct. 4 at CAR
Most PIM: 11, Smith, Nov. 2 at EDM
Most TOI: 28:54, Kronwall, Nov. 12 vs. WPG
Most Hits: 7, twice (MR: Abdelkader, Oct. 12 vs. PHI)
Most Blocked Shots: 6, Kronwall, Dec. 1 at OTT
Most Saves: 43, Howard, Nov. 4 vs. WPG

Tampa Bay Lightning: Media Notes

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP
The Lightning continue their three-game road trip tonight with their second stop of the season in the Motor City...Despite dropping a 3-0 decision last night in New Jersey the Lightning have posted points in four of their past five games, going 2-1-2 during that stretch...The Lightning roll into Detroit looking to snap their seven-game road losing skid with their last road victory coming against the Canadiens in Montreal on Nov. 12...This will be the third of five meetings between the Red Wings and Lightning, with the Bolts winning each of the first two games...Both games between the Wings and Bolts have been decided in extra time...The two clubs met four days ago on Thursday night at the Times Forum, with Martin St. Louis giving the Lightning the shootout winner in the fifth round.

TONIGHT'S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay is looking to win consecutive games against the Red Wings in Detroit for the first time in their franchise's history...The Lightning won for the second time in their history on Nov. 9...Tampa Bay has seven career victories against Detroit in the all-time matchup, with two of those wins coming this season...Detroit and Tampa Bay both rank tied for third in the Atlantic Division with 39 points and are both coming off losses last night...Neither team has recorded a power play goal yet during the season series, with the Bolts going 0-for-7 and the Wings going 0-for-8 in two games...Ben Bishop has started both games for the Lightning this season against Detroit, posting a 2-0-0 record with a 1.39 goals-against average and .946 save percentage.

KILLING TIME
The Bolts penalty kill unit has been impressive over their past 27 games, killing off 76 of their past 87 penalties during that stretch (87.4%)...The Lightning's penalty kill unit started the season allowing seven power-play goals in 22 attempts through their first five games, but have since rebounded...Tampa Bay has only allowed 10 power-play goals against over their past 23 contests...The Lightning now own the league's 10th-best penalty kill at 83.9%.

BISH PLEASE
Ben Bishop made 28 saves in a 2-1 shootout win last Thursday night against the Red Wings earning first star honors...He has been solid for the Lightning this season, registering a record of 16-5-2 in 24 starts...Bishop ranks fifth (tie-Luongo, Halak & Rask) in the league for wins with 16...He ranks eighth in the NHL with a 2.05 goals-against average and is sixth with a .931 save percentage...He has allowed more than two goals in a game only five times this season...Bishop is 2-0-0 in three career games against Detroit with a 1.22 goals-against average and .949 save percentage.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Lightning have 13 players on their current roster that have played less than 100 career NHL games, including eight that have played in less than 50...Over the past three games, Lightning rookies have combined for nine of a total 18 points produced...The Bolts have three rookies in the Top 25 for NHL rookie scoring (Tyler Johnson, Richard Panik and Ondrej Palat)...Tyler Johnson paces the way for the Bolts in that category, ranking fourth (tie- Kreider & Chiasson) for rookie points with 17...Rookie forward Nikita Kucherov has scored in two of his past three games...Johnson recorded a career-high three points last Tuesday night in Washington..Radko Gudas ranks first in the NHL among rookies for hits with 109...Johnson also ranks first in the league among rookie forwards for average TOI (17:39) and second for most faceoffs taken this season with 467 (Barkov-481)