Game 11: Detroit Red Wings (5-3-2) vs. New York Islanders (7-4-0)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1; Wings radio affiliates).
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Game notes: Unlike the 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cups, Wings fans won’t have to wait a full year between celebrations, as the franchise is honoring the 1997-98 squad that broke the franchise’s EPIC 374-day Cup drought 25 years ago this season before Saturday’s visit from the New York Islanders.
There’ll be another former Wing in the house, though he was gone well before the Wings raised either of their 90s Cups: Lane Lambert, once Steve Yzerman’s roommate (at Riverfront Towers, of course) and now the coach on Long Island. So far so good for the Wings’ second-round pick in 1983 (21 picks after Stevie Y) as the Isles entered Friday sixth in the league in goals scored (41) and third-best in goals allowed (27) en route to a third-place spot in the Metropolitan Division.
That’s despite an uncharacteristic start from 25-year-old star Mathew Barzal, who has yet to find the back of the net through 11 games. He’s still third on the team in points, thanks to 11 assists (which is tied for fourth in the league). Captain Anders Lee leads the squad in goals, with six, and Brock Nelson has five goals and eight assists for a team-high 13 points. Adding to the early season scoring binge is 38-year-old Zach Parise, who already has four goals in 11 games after scoring 15 in 82 games last season in his first stint with the Isles.
And while the Wings’ Cup celebration will be a bit light on Russians, thanks to geopolitical issues, there’s guaranteed to be one in net for the Isles as Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov have split the duties in the crease; Sorokin, the starter, has a .936 save percentage and 2.03 goals-against average and stopped 32 of 34 shots on Thursday in St. Louis.
The Wings, meanwhile, are hoping for a continued Swede tooth — no, Nicklas Lidstrom isn’t suiting up, but second-year forward Lucas Raymond has three goals in his past two games after going scoreless in his first eight. Likewise, Andrew Copp — who’s not from Sweden, but instead from Ann Arbor, which is almost close to IKEA in Canton, right? — broke through Thursday in the Wings’ win over the Capitals with his first goal wearing the Winged Wheel after signing a five-year, $28.125 million contract. (That’s a lotta meatballs!)
After they wrap up their matinee with the Isles, it’ll be a quick turnaround for the Wings, as they face the N.Y. Rangers at Madison Square Garden at 5 p.m. Sunday. The Islanders have a little more time to rest, as they’ll head home to host the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings game score vs. New York Islanders: Time, TV
