Friday night’s matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings was nothing short of a defense-dominated game. Both teams were held to just one goal at the end of regulation after an accumulated 58 shots on goal, but as the game headed to overtime, it was the Red Wings who struck for the overtime, game-winning goal to defeat the Lightning 2-1.
The Red Wings scored first in the first period with 6:58 left on the clock. It was Axel-Sandin-Pellikka with the goal. He was assisted by Dylan Larkin and Mason Appleton. That was Larkin’s fourth assist of the season as he has been on fire so far in 2025-26.
Both teams were scoreless in the second period, but the Lightning tied it up in the third period. J.J. Moser knocked in his first goal of the year with just under four minutes (3:32) to play in the period. Victor Hedman and Conor Geekie were credited with the assists. It was also Hedman’s fourth assist of the season.
The Lightning held on the remainder of the period and advanced the match into overtime.
They came close in the overtime period, but Tampa Bay drew last blood as they flew to the net with 1:24 left in the first overtime to take the win. J.T. Compher had the lone assist to Larkwin who had the last goal of the day, his third on the season.
With dropping yet another game, the Lightning now move to 1-2-2 on the season, still on the hunt for their second win of the year. They have another chance to get that win on Saturday as they play their fourth road game of the week. They’ll head to Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio to take on the 1-3-0 Columbus Blue Jackets.
The players to keep an eye on in that matchup will be Jake Guentzel and Kirill Marchenko who each have five points on the season; Yanni Gourde and Marchenko who have two goals and four goals respectively, and the battle of Guentzel and Zach Werenski who have four and two assists respectively.
As the Lightning take on the Blue Jackets, they’ll hope to head home with two wins in the win column and begin to turn the season around.