The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t have Nikita Kucherov on the ice for Friday’s matchup with the Detroit Red Wings. It was a brutal blow for a Tampa team still trying to seek out its footing early within the season. Unfortunately, Victor Hedman and the remaining of his teammates were unable to choose up the slack at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka opened the scoring for the Red Wings in the primary period. Detroit held this 1-0 lead for much of the sport. Nonetheless, JJ Moser was capable of get one past John Gibson to tie the sport 1-1. This forced additional time, with momentum on Tampa’s side. They even got a Grade A scoring probability in the additional frame.
Jake Guentzel attempted to seek out Hedman across the slot with a pass. Nonetheless, it knocked off Brandon Hagel’s stick and off the boards. It got here out to center ice, where Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin found it. He had a breakaway, and he didn’t miss his shot.
BIG TIME D-BOSS! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/39xMSz4Um8
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 18, 2025
After the sport, Hedman wasn’t stressing the blown scoring probability. It’s just a part of the sport sometimes, in his view. “That happens. I’ve got a straightforward backdoor tap-in, however it hits a stick and suddenly it’s a breakaway the opposite way,” the Lightning star said.
This win gives the Red Wings 4 in a row as they proceed rebounding from a brutal opening night loss. It was an especially promising performance from Gibson, who turned aside 31 of the 32 shots he faced on Friday night.
For the Lightning, this defeat continues a reasonably slow start for them. Tampa Bay has dropped 4 of its first five games, and its second in a row. It’s actually still early on, but it is a concerning start for a bunch as expert as this. Tampa doesn’t have long to dwell on this loss, though, as they face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.