Lightning Look to Lock Up Home Ice Against Eliminated Red Wings

Tampa Bay needs two more wins to clinch the Atlantic Division's 2 seed and home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 3:29pm

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A dynamic, geometric painting in bold colors representing a hockey game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings, with the players and action deconstructed into sharp, overlapping planes.As the Lightning chase home-ice advantage, a fractured, cubist depiction captures the intensity of their crucial late-season matchup with the eliminated Red Wings.Boston Today

The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off a crucial road win against the Boston Bruins that kept them in contention for first place in the Atlantic Division. Now they return home for a two-game stand, starting with a matchup against the eliminated Detroit Red Wings. The Lightning have a 2-1 series lead on the Red Wings this season, but they're still looking to regain their identity and get healthy as the playoffs approach.

Why it matters

The Lightning are jockeying for playoff positioning, needing two more wins to lock up the Atlantic Division's 2 seed and home-ice advantage. While the Red Wings have been eliminated from the postseason, they still pose a threat, and the Lightning need to find their rhythm heading into the playoffs.

The details

The Lightning are coming off a 2-0-1 road trip, including a crucial win over the Bruins. They now return home for a two-game stand, starting with the Red Wings. The Lightning have a 2-1 series lead on Detroit this season, but they're still searching for their identity after some recent losses. Tampa Bay is getting closer to full strength, with Zemgus Girgensons, Darren Raddysh, and Dominic James all back on the ice for morning skate.

  • The Lightning's two-game homestand begins on April 13, 2026.
  • Tampa Bay has two games remaining in the regular season.

The players

Andrei Vasilevskiy

The Lightning's starting goaltender, who has gone 2-0-1 with a .935 save percentage and 1.96 goals against average over the last three games.

John Cooper

The Lightning's head coach, who discussed the team's playoff positioning and the need to secure home-ice advantage.

Nikita Kucherov

The Lightning's superstar forward, who is strengthening his MVP case as the team makes a push for the playoffs.

Zemgus Girgensons

The Lightning forward who is day-to-day and back on the ice for morning skate.

Darren Raddysh

The Lightning defenseman who is day-to-day and back on the ice for morning skate.

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What they’re saying

“We understand where we're slotted in here and probably need some help, but we do have a chance to get home ice. So there's still something to play for.”

— John Cooper, Head Coach

What’s next

The Lightning need to win their final two games at home to lock up the Atlantic Division's 2 seed and secure home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

The takeaway

The Lightning are in a tight race for playoff positioning, and securing home-ice advantage could be crucial as they look to make a deep postseason run. While the Red Wings have been eliminated, they still pose a threat, and the Lightning need to find their identity and get healthy heading into the playoffs.