It's the final game for the Detroit Red Wings before the NHL breaks for the 4 Nations Faceoff, which will halt all action until later in the month.
The Red Wings host the divisional foe Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena this afternoon (1:00 PM, ABC, ESPN+, 97.1 The Ticket), and there remains one incident from the last time the two teams played one another that Detroit fans haven't forgotten.
Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov blatantly stuck his stick into the skates of Michael Rasmussen as the latter was preparing to score an empty net goal as part of Detroit's 3-1 victory on January 27.
Rasmussen careened into the net, which came off its moorings; although he immediately rose to his skates, he was later seen requiring assistance to make it down the tunnel toward the Red Wings' dressing room.
Kucherov escaped punishment for the incident, though many feel he should have been suspended as a repeat offender - or at the very least, fined.
What does Todd McLellan think of the idea of confronting Kucherov in response to his actions from late January?
The good news for the Red Wings and Rasmussen is that even though he appeared to have been injured on the dirty play, he was healthy enough to continue playing by the next time the Red Wings hit the ice.
Right now, McLellan has his players focused on getting a pair of key points rather than getting revenge.
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FEVRIER 8 | 152 ANSWERS Todd McLellan discusses potential revenge against Nikita Kucherov for dirty trip on Michael Rasmussen Should the Red Wings attempt to confront Nikita Kucherov today? | ||