Share

Lightning prepared for Wings’ extra fuel

The Detroit Red Wings don’t feel their Eastern Conference First Round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning is over because they lost the first two games.

Advertisement

Detroit Red Wings center Riley Sheahan (15) moves for a shot while screening Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) in the second period of Game 3 in a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Sunday, April 17, 201…

The Lightning will have to play much more disciplined in Tuesday’s Game 4 to wrestle back control of this series. “We’ve got to make sure that we play with great intensity”. The Red Wings, however, broke through with a slap shot from the left face off circle past Bishop and into the net by Andreas Athanasiou.

According to Howard, via our old pal Nick Cotsonika, Blashill told him about the switch when they got on the team plane to fly home after Game 2.

A bloody brawl involving several players capped this one, with 14 penalties called – including a game misconduct on Justin Abdelkader – with 54 seconds left. 921 save percentage. Mrazek started one game against the Lightning in the regular season, a 3-1 Tampa Bay win at Amalie Arena on February 3.

That was on full display in how the Lightning responded to whatever Detroit throws at them, particularly when the Red Wings score, with Tampa Bay quickly responding with a goal of its own.

The Blues appeared to have taken a 2-1 lead with 7:46 left in regulation on the second goal of the game from Tarasenko, but the Blackhawks challenged the goal and after a video review it was ruled that Jori Lehtera had been offside on the play.

Tampa Bay went on the power play for the first time late in the second period and got a second opportunity to have an extra skater early in the third, and failed to take advantage of the chances to pull within a goal. I won’t say the injustices were purely aimed at those in white and red though. But he better be looking over his shoulder when the teams meet again in Detroit for Game 3 Sunday.

Detroit’s rookie coach, Jeff Blashill, benched goaltender Jimmy Howard for Game 3 and put Mrazek in net.

The line of Johnson, Kucherov and Killorn had three goals and three assists for Tampa Bay in Game 1, with Killorn scoring the victor to finish a comeback from a 2-1 deficit.

“Yeah, it was just a scramble in front”, said Zetterberg, the Detroit captain.

The Red Wings ran the clock out and had no problem finishing the 2-0 win in Game 3 over the Lightning. “We were able to come back and win it. There are lots of ebbs and flows in all every series I’ve been a part of where it looked dire”.

Advertisement

What it means: The Red Wings might just make a series of this yet. What they’ve done is made a play or two more offensively and defensively than we have, that’s what it’s come down to.

Members of the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning fight during the third period in Game Two of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Amalie Arena in Tampa Florida Friday. — AFP