PREVIEW: Red Wings face Islanders to wrap up 25th Anniversary Celebration

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings will conclude their weekend-long 25th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday afternoon, hosting the New York Islanders for a rare 1 p.m. puck drop at Little Caesars Arena.

Broadcast coverage of Saturday's matinee between Detroit (5-3-2; 12 points) and New York (7-4-0; 14 points) will be carried on Bally Sports Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).
Ticketed fans are encouraged to arrive and be in their seats early. The Meijer Entry SW will be open at 10:30 a.m. for photo opportunities with the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Campbell Bowl. A special pregame ceremony honoring the 1998 championship squad that went back-to-back will begin at approximately Noon.
Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said Thursday's pregame ceremony,
which honored the 1997 champions
, led to him reflecting on his four-year stint as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which also hoisted the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons.
"It was really neat to see," Lalonde said. "I feel extremely fortunate that I experienced a back-to-back Stanley Cup championship. It's amazing, there's really nothing like it."

After a nip-and-tuck first two periods, Andrew Copp scored the eventual game-winning goal late in the third frame - his first with Detroit - and had an assist for his first multi-point output of the season. Captain Dylan Larkin added a late empty-netter to
seal Detroit's 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals.
Lalonde said he hopes the momentum will carry over for the Red Wings, who will complete a weekend back-to-back against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday evening.
"They're a really good team," Lalonde said about the Isles. "Just looking at the depth of their lineup, this looks like the team I faced in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals."

The Islanders beat the St. Louis Blues, 5-2, on Thursday for their fifth straight win, the club's longest winning streak since a nine-game run from Feb. 28 - March 14, 2021. Anders Lee (6-6-12) has four points in his last three games, while Mathew Barzal leads the Islanders with 11 helpers. Goalies Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov have combined for a 2.53 goals-against average.
The Red Wings and Isles will play twice more this season, squaring off at UBS Arena on Jan. 27 and March 4, 2023.

Larkin takes maintenance day Friday

Larkin took a maintenance day on Friday and did not participate in Detroit's practice at the BELFOR Training Center.
On Thursday, Larkin (6-7-13) recorded the empty-net goal and added an assist, extending his point streak to three straight games. Larkin's goal was the 153rd of his NHL career, passing Ray Sheppard for 23rd on the franchise's all-time list.