#LGRW Daily: Red Wings entertain Panthers on Friday and Saturday

DETROIT -- For a young team focused on developing consistency, the process can feel endless. The good thing about the shortened 2020-21 NHL schedule, and for the Detroit Red Wings, is a consistent cadence of games, all against familiar opponents.

Following a pair of close setbacks against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit will host the Florida Panthers on Friday and Saturday at Little Caesars Arena. Florida has been the Wings' most common opponent this season, having already made one trip to Hockeytown and hosting the Red Wings on Super Bowl weekend. Friday's puck drop is set for 7 p.m., while Saturday's game will begin at 5 p.m.
Three of the four games between the current Central Division rivals have been decided by one-goal, with the only outlier being a 4-1 Red Wings victory at the BB&T Center on Feb. 7. The Panthers posted a pair of 3-2 wins over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in late January, and a 2-1 win on Feb. 9 in Sunrise, Fla.
Despite entering this weekend's series on a four-game winless streak, Detroit has been playing solid hockey for at least the past 20 periods. According to Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill, his team must maintain its sound structure in order to flip one-goal games.
"I think it's critical that we stay with it. Continue to be a hard team to play against, continue to be good defensively," Blashill said. "I think that's how you win in this league. The teams that check, ultimately, are the teams that win.
"In the meantime, you can't press for offense; you can't get frustrated and cheat for offense. I think our guys understand the recipe for success. We've just got to stay with it. Sometimes it's not the easiest thing to do, in life, to stay with something when you're not seeing the results. But that's what we have to do."

Florida (10-2-2) enters the series with 22 points, and is currently tied atop the Central Division standings alongside Chicago. It has rolled off five consecutive wins since losing to Detroit on Super Bowl Sunday, including three straight decisive wins over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, and a 4-3, mid-week overtime victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.
After leading the Panthers with 78 points during the 2019-20 campaign, winger Jonathan Huberdeau is again atop Florida's scoring list. He paces the Panthers and is tied for eighth in the NHL with 20 points among seven goals and 13 assists through 14 games this season.
In goal, Chris Driedger will make his third consecutive start on Friday. In two starts against Detroit this season, Driedger has stopped 67 of 72 shots (.931%).
Friday's series opener will be televised locally on Fox Sports Detroit and will stream on ESPN+. Ken Kal and Paul Woods will have the call on 97.1 The Ticket and the Red Wings Radio Network, with pregame coverage starting at 6:45 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to download the HomeTurf app and log into
"Hockeytown Home Ice"
for an innovative second screen experience during Red Wings games, both home and away.

AVAILABILITY UPDATE

Blashill expects Darren Helm to be available on Friday, but does not expect Vladislav Namestnikov to suit up. Tyler Bertuzzi also remains sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered on Jan. 30, and is yet to practice