Red Wings take series lead over Lightning with 3-0 win Tuesday night (with photos)
By @SKubus –
DETROIT – Entering Game 3, the last five meetings between the two teams, dating back to the regular season, were won by the team who struck first.
Detroit kept that streak going Tuesday night, when Pavel Datsyuk deflected home a Tomas Tatar slap shot from just inside the Tampa Bay zone on the right-side boards at 8:46 of the first period.
That goal ended up propelling the Red Wings to a 3-0 win over the Lightning Tuesday night at Joe Louis Arena, as Detroit took advantage of home ice to seize control of their first-round series.
Riley Sheahan and Luke Glendening added third-period goals, while Petr Mrazek stopped all 22 shots he faced to record his first career postseason shutout for Detroit and second in two starts at Joe Louis Arena against Tampa Bay this year.
“I thought we were way better,” head coach Mike Babcock said of the effort in Game 3 compared to Game 2. “I thought we skated and we looked like a real hockey team. I don’t think we had skated the way we were capable of skating, I don’t think we had the physical play that we needed, I thought we made their ‘D’ turn it over the way we should have in the first couple games, I thought those things all happened. Good for our team, good for our fans, now we’ve got to enjoy the next hour or so and then we have to get ready for the next one here.”
Photos by Jen Hefner/MiHockey
Datsyuk’s marker allowed Detroit to skate off after the opening 20 minutes with a lead for the first time in the series, also holding a 22-10 hit advantage.
“I think they got an extremely fortunate bounce on their first goal, and now we’re behind,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “That was the only bounce they got. That’s the only one they ended up needing.”
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At 5:51 of the middle frame and with Glendening already in the box for interference, Danny DeKeyser’s clearing attempt was sent a bit too high and left the playing surface resulting in a Tampa Bay 5-on-3 for 56 seconds. But the Red Wings proved why its PK unit was among the best in the league during the regular season at one point, shutting the door on the Bolts to maintain its one-goal margin heading into the third period.
Babcock admitted that the hockey gods were on the Red Wings’ side Tuesday night after the Bolts hit a pair of posts and had a couple other great looks on the two-man advantage.
“Obviously it’s a real tight game,” Babcock said. “When you go back to the five-on-three, I think they hit a couple of posts, Johnson had a wide-open net, so we got lucky and things can change quickly.”
After the Red Wings killed off a Tatar holding minor early in the final frame, they received an opportunity of their own as Braydon Coburn took a tripping minor shortly after.
At 6:42, with 30 seconds remaining in Coburn’s penalty, Sheahan capped off some brilliant Detroit passing to put the Red Wings up 2-0. Zetterberg made a quick dish to Justin Abdelkader from the right half-wall. Abdelkader then skated towards the Lightning goal and found Sheahan on the far side, whose forehand-backhand move pulled Bishop left-to-right, giving him room to tuck the puck inside the post and into the back of the net.
“Just in general, it was a great play,” Sheahan said. “Z made a great pass to Abby and Abby’s pass was unbelievable and kind of just left me open in front. Luckily it went in.”
Detroit’s special teams proved why they were each among the league best for most of the season at one respective time or another, as the penalty kill went 6-for-6 on the evening and the powerplay contributed a huge insurance goal.
“Some big shot blocks and keeping the opportunities limited for them in front of the net was huge, and then our powerplay, too, generating some shots to the net, trying to get in Bishop’s eyes,” Sheahan said.
Detroit headed right back to the power play following the Sheahan tally, as Stamkos took his second minor of the night. Brian Boyle poked a loose puck past Kronwall at the point and took off for a breakaway, but Mrazek made a huge save. As Cedric Paquette skated by Mrazek, he stuck his stick out to trip the Red Wings’ netminder. Abdelkader took exception and the two then wrestled to the ice. Paquette received a goaltender interference minor, while Abdelkader got two for roughing.
The Lightning pulled Bishop with 1:46 to play in regulation, which failed to help their cause. Glendening was the one who found the scoresheet in the closing moments, scoring on an empty net to give the Wings a commanding 3-0 lead with 49 seconds remaining in regulation.
Game 4 of the Red Wings vs. Lightning series will be on Thursday night – puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“Huge win for us, first game home, first win, it’s over,” Mrazek said. “We have to look for Thursday now.”