DETROIT – It’s a familiar scenario for Brendan Smith – sit the first two games of the playoffs before drawing into the lineup in Game 3 at Joe Louis Arena.
In desperate need of a defensive lift – the Red Wings trail the best-of-seven series 0-2 – Smith will play for the first time in this series when the Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning shifts to Detroit tonight.
The 27-year-old Smith and Mike Green, as they were throughout much of the regular season, will be paired as defensive partners.