The Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning arrive at the March 12 matchup with a clear set of projected lineups and notable absences; centers Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp are each sidelined for two weeks while line combinations have been reshuffled. For the game starting March 12 at 7: 00 pm ET, these changes point toward heavier reliance on recalled players and internal reassignments to cover Detroit’s center ice gap.
Detroit projected lineup with Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp sidelined
Detroit’s forwards for the game list Alex DeBrincat, J. T. Compher and Patrick Kane on the top line, with Emmitt Finnie centering Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond on the second line. The third line shows Mason Appleton with Michael Rasmussen and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, while James van Riemsdyk, Sheldon Dries and Dominik Shine form the fourth. Defensively, Albert Johansson and Jacob Bernard-Docker are paired. The team also has scratched Travis Hamonic, John Leonard, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Edward Tralmaks and Austin Watson, and lists David Perron, Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp as injured with lower-body issues.
Injury and roster forces: Perron, recalls, and Tampa Bay’s available skaters
Detroit’s internal moves include recalls and emergency reassignments: Austin Watson was recalled under emergency conditions from Grand Rapids, while Sheldon Dries, John Leonard and Edward Tralmaks were recalled under the same conditions. David Perron is recovering from a sports hernia and was in a regular jersey, rotating in line rushes at Detroit’s morning skate. On Tampa Bay’s side, the expected forward group lists Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov on a top line, with Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point and Gage Goncalves on another. Tampa Bay also shows injured or day-to-day players: Erik Cernak (undisclosed), Dominic James (lower body), Nick Paul (lower body), Max Crozier (core muscle) and Emil Lilleberg (facial fracture), with Paul and Cernak skating but not playing and Lilleberg in a noncontact jersey at the Lightning morning skate.
Scenarios for Red Wings Vs Lightning: If center absences persist / Should Perron return
If Larkin and Copp remain sidelined for two weeks as stated, Detroit will lean on the line combinations already listed: J. T. Compher up to the top line with Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, and Marco Kasper taking a major opportunity as second-line center with Lucas Raymond and Emmitt Finnie. That shift means Detroit’s depth—Mason Appleton, Michael Rasmussen, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and the recalled Grand Rapids players—will need to absorb minutes and matchups against Tampa Bay’s top lines, increasing the importance of role players like James van Riemsdyk and Sheldon Dries.
Should David Perron be cleared to play after rotating in line rushes during Detroit’s morning skate, Detroit would regain a veteran forward option while still carrying the altered center structure. Perron’s recovery from a sports hernia is explicitly noted, and his availability would alter ice-time allocations for the third and fourth lines, potentially reducing pressure on less proven recall players who filled roles after emergency recalls from Grand Rapids.
Standings pressure and what March 12 will show
Standings context adds urgency: Tampa Bay is listed at 39-20-4 with 82 points, while Detroit is listed at 36-22-7 with 79 points in the Eastern Conference; another note places Tampa Bay tied with Montreal at 82 points. One report highlights that Montreal extended its lead over Detroit to three points and that Detroit holds only a three-point advantage over Columbus outside the playoff picture. These numbers frame the March 12 game at 7: 00 pm ET as a high-leverage test for both clubs’ short-term positioning.
Based on context data:
- Detroit top line: Alex DeBrincat — J. T. Compher — Patrick Kane.
- Detroit notable absences: Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp out two weeks; David Perron recovering from sports hernia.
- Tampa Bay top line: Brandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Nikita Kucherov.
- Game time: March 12 at 7: 00 pm ET.
Next confirmed milestone is the March 12, 7: 00 pm ET puck drop, which will reveal how the projected line combinations perform against Tampa Bay’s top units. What the context does not resolve is which recalled Grand Rapids players will receive sustained minutes and whether Perron will be cleared to play; the March 12 game will resolve those specific roster questions and show whether Detroit’s reconfigured lines can withstand Tampa Bay’s established depth.
