Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Islanders: Time, TV for game with big playoff implications
Detroit Red Wings (35-28-6) vs. New York Islanders (29-24-15)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday.
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1).
Eyes on the ice: Here's how to watch the Red Wings this season without Bally Sports Detroit.
REVENGE TIME: Detroit Red Wings looking for 'payback' against Islanders as Dylan Larkin nears return
Game notes: This is a big one.
Let's flashback to Feb. 29, 2024. The Wings were riding a six-game winning streak and firmly in control of a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Heck, there were more conversations about the team pushing for a top-three spot in the Atlantic Division than missing the Stanley Cup playoffs altogether. Even the sportsbooks, which have been slow to jump on the Red Wings bandwagon because of some advanced analytics, decided the Wings were more likely to make the playoffs than not. And then it came crashing down.
It all started with the Feb. 29 showdown against the New York Islanders, a day in which the Wings came out flat and could never get all the back in it. At the time, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. But then they got boat raced by the Florida Panthers at home, Dylan Larkin picked up an injury and next thing you knew, the Wings had lost seven games in a row. Meanwhile, the victory over the Wings helped kickstart a six-game winning streak for the Islanders, who were suddenly hot on the Wings trail again.
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But if that story should teach you anything, it's that things change fast in the NHL, particularly for a team like the Wings that has been hot and cold all year long. Entering Thursday's big matchup, the Wings have won two of their last three games and the Islanders have lost five straight.
When speaking with the media before the game, the Wings made it clear that this game would be personal. They have not forgotten about the last loss to the Islanders and how their slow start ended up being a launchpad to their seven-game stumble.
"It is probably the biggest game of our season," defenseman Mortiz Seider said before the game Thursday.
"Time for payback. Hopefully we can now win three out of the last four and then it's looking a lot better."
The Wings could be getting a big boost at just the right time, too. Larkin hasn't played since picking up a lower-body injury against the Florida Panthers March 2, but he's back skating with the team and may even be able to give it a go against the Islanders. Even if not, he's getting much closer to a return, and the Wings desperately need him for the final 13 games, with not just the Islanders but also the Washington Capitals pushing for the coveted final playoff spot.
After the Wings play the Islanders Thursday they'll start a five-game road trip by heading to Nashville to play the Predators on Saturday and then won't play again until Tuesday against the Capitals, another playoff-type game.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Islanders: Time, TV for big game
