This game had three distinct chapters. The first period was a low-shot but high-chance frame for both teams. The Lightning converted on four of their looks to build a multi-goal lead. The Red Wings dominated play in the second period, but thanks to Andrei Vasilevsky’s goaltending, they only managed to score once. The Lightning took a 4-3 lead into the third, which was their strongest defensive period. The final period also featured an incredible moment for Dylan Duke, who tallied a goal in his NHL debut. The Lightning added an empty-netter to pick up another key divisional win, their third this week.
For much of January, the Lightning generated scoring chances in games but struggled to finish. That hasn’t been as much of an issue so far in February, and it certainly wasn’t an issue in the first period of this contest. The Lightning registered only seven shots on net in the opening frame, but they netted four goals. Brandon Hagel zipped a shot from the slot that deflected off Alex Lyon’s glove and bounced into the net at 1:28. They added another at 1:56. Shortly after a zone entry, Ryan McDonagh passed to Nikita Kucherov at the right point. Kucherov slid the puck to Erik Cernak at the center point. Anthony Cirelli screened Lyon as Cernak’s shot sailed into the top of the net. At that point, Cam Talbot replaced Lyon in net. Talbot allowed two additional first-period goals. Brayden Point accepted a pass from Gage Goncalves, drove to the net, and finished a shot over Talbot’s glove at 11:49. Finally, after Cernak disrupted a Detroit zone entry attempt, the Wings were caught out of position as the Lightning transitioned. Hagel fed Nick Paul for a breakaway, and Paul snapped the puck between Talbot’s pads at 15:13.
So from an offensive perspective, the Lightning had an excellent first period. Unfortunately, their defensive play was less strong. They struggled at times to execute clears from their own end, and they allowed a number of shots from the middle of the ice. Detroit finished with 10 first-period shots, and most of them were dangerous. Vladimir Tarasenko deflected a Mo Seider shot from the slot past Vasilevskiy, and Patrick Kane finished a cross-ice feed from Alex DeBrincat during a Detroit power play.
The Lightning’s d-zone problems continued in the second period. Repeatedly, they failed to clear the zone. As a result, the Red Wings enjoyed numerous long offensive-zone shifts. Detroit also gained momentum from a second-period power play that began at 6:30. The Wings kept the puck in the offensive zone for the entire two minutes and posted seven SOG during the man advantage. Vasilevskiy stopped all seven, but the Lightning didn’t gain any juice surviving the kill, Instead, the Red Wings continued to apply heavy pressure for the rest of the frame. They finished with 19 second-period shots. At the other end, the Lightning produced just five shots on goal and only 11 attempts. The Red Wings eventually scored when DeBrincat knocked down a Darren Raddysh clearing attempt and skated in alone on Vasilevskiy. He snapped the puck into the top of the net at 14:29. Crucially, though, the Lightning got out of the period still up by a goal.
The intermission break helped the Lightning, who settled things down in the third. They were consistent in clearing their zone, so they spent less time having to defend and more time in the Detroit end. One of those shifts yielded a critical insurance goal and an unforgettable moment for Dylan Duke. Duke started the sequence by disrupting a Detroit clearing attempt. The puck came to Nick Perbix at the right point. Talbot stopped Perbix’s shot and then knocked the rebound off Mitchell Chaffee’s stick. But Duke collected the puck in the low slot and backhanded it into the net at 4:10.
The Red Wings were far less dangerous in the third than they had been in either of the first two periods. They pulled Talbot with more than four minutes left. The Lightning protected the front of the net well during Detroit’s six-on-five. The Wings had six shot attempts with Talbot on the bench: four were blocked and two missed the net. Hagel sealed things with an empty-netter at 17:57.
The Lightning have one more important divisional game before breaking for the Four Nations Faceoff. They wrap up the back-to-back on Sunday afternoon in Montreal.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Brian Engblom):
- Andrei Vasilevskiy — Lightning. 34 saves.
- Brandon Hagel — Ligthning. Two goals and two assists.
- Alex DeBrincat — Red Wings. Goal and two assists.
