This game was a mixed bag for the Lightning. They endured a flat, low-intensity opening 40 minutes before dominating play in the final 20 of regulation. Their work in the third period helped them earn a come-from-behind point.
The Lightning were without Nikita Kucherov (illness), so they shuffled three of their four forward line combinations (the Yanni Gourde-Oliver Bjorkstrand-Pontus Holmberg line remained intact). They struggled throughout the first two periods to generate any kind of an attack, managing to post just 11 shots on net and only 34 total shot attempts. They registered zero shots on three power-play opportunities.
As a whole, the Lightning did limit opposition chances. But they had a rough segment in the first period, when the Red Wings surged and grabbed the lead. The tally came during a delayed penalty call on the Lightning—Axel Sandin-Pellikka’s shot from the high slot deflected off a Lightning player, changing directions on Andrei Vasilevskiy and beating him on the stick side.
But the Lightning settled down defensively after that. The Wings didn’t generate many scoring chances the rest of the way. Until the closing minutes of regulation, their best looks came during a couple of second-period power plays.
In the third period, the Lightning raised their urgency level and decisively controlled play. Not only did they post 19 shots on net, they produced a high volume of Grade-A scoring chances. John Gibson was terrific in denying all but one of those chances. He made several saves on Jake Guentzel in the frame, but his best work came during a sequence around the goal crease when he stopped Jack Finley twice and Mitchell Chaffee once. Finally, however, the Lightning broke through. J.J. Moser’s one-timer from the center point sailed past a screened Gibson at 16:17.
With just over two minutes left in the third, Vasilevskiy denied an Emmitt Finnie counter chance off the rush by making a stop with the shaft of his stick. That kept the game tied at one and helped the Lightning collect a point in the standings.
Unlike Tuesday’s overtime loss, in which the Lightning never possessed the puck, this OT featured chances for both teams. In fact, the Lightning were inches away from a game-winning goal themselves before they surrendered the breakaway to Dylan Larkin that won the contest for Detroit. But Guentzel’s pass to Victor Hedman at the side of the net didn’t connect, and the puck caromed around the boards directly to Larkin, who had clear sailing down the ice.
The Lightning have now gained four out of six points through the first three games of the trip. They wrap up the back-to-back (and the road trip) on Saturday in Columbus.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game:
1. John Gibson — Red Wings. 32 saves.
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy — Lightning. 29 saves.
3. J.J. Moser — Lightning. Goal.