Detroit Red Wings game time vs. Tampa Bay Lightning moved because of Lions playoffs
With the Detroit Lions hosting their divisional-round NFL playoff game at Ford Field at 3 p.m. Sunday, the Detroit Red Wings' Sunday game has been moved to later in the evening.
The Wings were originally scheduled to host the Tampa Bay Lightning with a puck drop at 5:08 p.m., but the NHL on Tuesday changed that start time to 7 p.m.
The Wings overlapped with the Lions' playoff opener last Sunday, with a scheduled 7 p.m. puck drop against the Maple Leafs in Toronto — although that game was delayed nearly an hour due to travel issues for the Wings — while the Lions hosted the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field.
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Moving the game to 7 p.m. means there isn't likely to be much overlap, unless the Lions game goes into overtime, but it does potentially put a squeeze on parking for Wings fans.
The other option would have been to move the game up. The Lightning play the Sabres in Buffalo, New York, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. NHL rules require a minimum of 22 hours between start times.
The Wings play the Hurricanes in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday night and are scheduled to practice Saturday. The game against the Lightning — an Atlantic Division rival with whom the Wings are neck-and-neck with in the standings — begins a five-game home stand for the Wings before the All-Star break in early February.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings' game time Sunday changed because of Lions playoffs