Despite getting outshot 34-24 and outplayed for a good portion of the game, Tampa Bay found a way to win, scoring with 1:43 left on a goal by Alex Killorn; it was the Lightning’s first even-strength goal since Game 2. That earned him the start in each of the first two games against Tampa Bay.
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Unfortunately, Detroit Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek would continue to shut down the Tampa Bay Lightning at every single turn. Jonathan Drouin had three assists and Ben Bishop made 26 saves. Drouin had three assists. They now lead the series 3-1, Detroit’s playoff chances dwindling despite their clean sheet from Game 3.
The Lightning will play the victor of the New York Islanders’ series against the Florida Panthers, which is knotted a two.
And, it was a beautifully setup goal. While one was an elimination game for both teams, the Lightning still needed Bishop to show up big and help his team get the W and advance.
The 10 guys who are on it, lets make a few more plays, Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Wednesday after an optional practice at Joe Louis Arena.
The Lightning controlled the first ten minutes of play and scored their first power play goal in that time.
The defending Eastern Conference champions scored three times on the power play on five chances. And, they prevented Detroit from scoring on the man advantage.
Last season, the Lightning couldn’t close out their any team in under six games.
It became evident from that point that if Detroit was going to take a shot, it had better find a way to get it through the thicket of legs, arms and sticks that were routinely in the shooting lanes. Helm stuffed a shot into the net from the right side off a pass from Luke Glendening with 5:07 left in the second. The goal came nine seconds after Justin Abdelkader went off for holding.
Detroit’s biggest problems came in the third period.
The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate their 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings during Game 5 in a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Thursday, April 21, 2016, in Tampa, Fla.
Pavel Datsyuk, 37, told the Detroit Free Press recently he thinks he will go home to Russian Federation after this season. Thanks to pressure from the Detroit Red Wings, Callahan would be forced to play the puck behind the net. The Lightning were much better than the Red Wings in Game 1 and Game 2.
Nikita Kucherov scored his fourth and fifth goals of the series in Game 4 to stake the Lightning to a 2-0 lead, but the Red Wings drew even on tallies from Darren Helm (1) and Gustav Nyquist (1).The Lightning are now taking on the Detroit Red Wings in the 1st round and as I write this post, Tampa now hold a 2-1 series lead over the wings.
While the Lightning were thriving with the man advantage, the Red Wings were 0-for-4 on the power play and didn’t look unsafe. “It’s awesome”, Bettman said.
Rick Nash scored for the Rangers, who played without an injured McDonagh (upper body, hand) in the first two games in Pittsburgh.
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Alex Killorn scored the series-clincher on a Red Wings defensive mistake with just under two minutes to go.
