Petr Mrazek ‘bounces back’ and shuts out Lightning in Game 3
By @MichaelCaples –
DETROIT – As the Red Wings’ first-round series with the Tampa Bay Lightning shifted back to Detroit, one of the main questions was how Petr Mrazek would respond to a rough Game 2 outing.
No problems there.
The Red Wings’ young goaltender didn’t face a barrage of shots (22 total), but he was there when Detroit needed him, and he played a crucial role in Detroit’s 3-0 win Tuesday night.
It was Mrazek’s first career playoff shutout, and it gave his Red Wings a 2-1 series lead over Tampa Bay in the process.
“Huge win for us,” Mrazek said after the game. “First game home, first win, it’s over. We have to look for Thursday now.”
It was a different team playing defense in front of him, of course; after giving up 46 shots in Game 1 and 30 in Game 2, the Wings limited the Lightning to only 22 during their first game at Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings also held the Lightning scoreless on five five-on-four power-play opportunities and one five-on-three advantage for almost a full minute.
“I felt great,” Mrazek said. “I think we played really well defensively today and the guys helped me there so much. They were a huge part of the PK.”
Gone, as well, were the ‘high-quality’ scoring chances the Red Wings afforded to Lightning in Game 2 – their defensive coverage was noticeably improved Tuesday night.
He also got some support from Justin Abdelkader, who came to Mrazek’s defense after Cedric Paquette’s slew-foot attempt on the goaltender at the 8:39 mark of the third period. Abdelkader, making his series debut after an injury prevented him from skating in Games 1 and 2, made sure the Lightning knew they wouldn’t be able to do things like that to Mrazek without retribution.
MORE: Red Wings take series lead over Lightning with 3-0 win Tuesday night | Check out the Red Wings’ playoff pregame show (video)
“When I saw the play, I thought it was a really dirty play,” Abdelkader said. “There’s no need for that. I took offense to it. It’s one of those plays where if I don’t do anything we’re going on a five-on-three but I just thought it was a pretty dirty play, and I was pretty upset about it. Petr did a great job in net tonight, we played really well in front of him, and you know, it’s always nice to be back home. The crowd seems to reach another level when you’re in the playoffs, and it’s so fun playing out there. It was a good team effort tonight.”
The Lightning’s visits to the crease – nor the pressure of doubters – seemed to bother Mrazek, based on his play.
“He has confidence, we know he’s a good goalie,” captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “If stuff goes against him, he forgets about it quick and he comes in the next morning and works hard for the next game.”
It continues the spreading theory that Mrazek is a goaltender has the ability to ‘bounce back’ after poor outings. While he doesn’t have a sample size comparable to his more veteran counterparts, a quick look at his game log from the 2014-15 season backs up the idea.
On Jan. 29, Mrazek gave up five goals to these very Tampa Bay Lightning. He responded by stopping 22 of 23 shots two nights later against the New York Islanders.
On Feb. 11, he gave up four goals to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and while a trip back to Grand Rapids followed, the next time he got the nod – against the same Penguins squad – Mrazek stopped 42 of 43.
Then, on March 29, he gave up four goals to the Islanders before stopping 33 of 34 two nights later against Ottawa.
Coach Mike Babcock still pointed out, however, that the ‘comeback goaltender’ title isn’t always a good one.
“What I was trying to say [earlier today], so I can clear that up, if you think you had a bounce-back game then that means you had a bad game, right?” Babcock said. “You’re not playing in the NHL if you keep having bad games. That’s all I’m trying to say. My point to you is, you have to play good every night, that’s the National Hockey League, that’s how you get to be a starting goalie in the National Hockey League. We expect him to play good every night.”
Though it’s hard to fault Mrazek for a poor Game 2 showing by Detroit in Tampa Bay, of course. Even with that 5-1 loss (four goals belonged to Mrazek), the Red Wings hold the lead in the series, and a large part of that has to do with their starting goaltender. His goals-against average still sits at a strong 2.25 count, and his save percentage is .930. He has faced 86 shots in three games, his team is still up 2-1 in the series.
Now, the only question to ask is simple – what will he do in Game 4?