Those qualities were on display all night, but for the Wings, they enjoyed their best stretch in the second period. Buoyed by four power play opportunities in the period, they put 16 overall shots on net and enjoyed most of the puck possession. But the Lightning were able to score the go-ahead goal late in the frame and then delivered one of their best periods of the young season in the third to close out the game.
In the first period, both teams were effective in pursuing and retrieving pucks in the offensive zone and created some anxious moments for the opposition team. But as a whole, the Lightning had an edge in the opening 20 minutes. Two power play opportunities helped them establish that advantage. Despite not scoring on either power play chance, they posted six shots on goal. Brayden Point scored a few seconds after the first chance ended when a Yanni Gourde centering pass deflected into the Detroit net off Point's skate.
The script changed in the second period. Detroit's four consecutive power play chances gave the Wings momentum. Even though they didn't score on those power plays, the chances gave them momentum. They posted seven power play shots on those chances. In five-on-five play for the first 15 minutes, they owned most of the puck possession, tied the game at one and kept the Lightning's attack quiet. But that changed in the final minutes. On a defensive zone faceoff, Jon Cooper sent out both Tyler Johnson and Steven Stamkos (it was a night in which the linesmen were regularly throwing centermen out of faceoffs - on both sides). Nikita Kucherov was the other forward. It was one of the only times of the night that Stamkos and Kucherov were on the same line during five-on-five play (they did play on the same power play unit). The Lightning came out of the d-zone and brought the puck into the Detroit end. Mikhail Sergachev's right point shot was blocked, but it deflected to Kucherov at the right circle. Detroit defenders closed on Kucherov, who passed the puck to Stamkos in the slot for a one-timer goal.
Thanks to the Stamkos goal, the Lightning got out of the second period with their one-goal lead intact. Then in the third, they effectively closed out the game. Most of the period was played from the red line into the Detroit defensive zone, so the Red Wings had a difficult time generating shots and scoring chances. In fact, they didn't even post a shot on goal until the period was almost 10 minutes old. That shot was a scoring chance - an in-alone look for Darren Helm - but Andrei Vasilevskiy made the save. Detroit had a couple of other isolated looks in the third, but it was a complete change from what took place in the second. The Lightning outshot the Wings, 12-6, in the third and owned a 22-10 shot attempt advantage. Not insignificantly, they also won 16 of 24 third period faceoffs.
Up 2-1 in the final minutes, the Lightning didn't let the Wings enter the offensive zone with possession after Howard was pulled for an extra attacker. Instead, they pressured the puck up ice and eventually sealed the win with an Alex Killorn empty-netter.
Certainly, Vasilevskiy's play was a big factor in the win. He finished with 29 saves, including two first period stops on Detroit's two-on-zero shorthanded rush. The Lightning's penalty kill went 5-5 and is not 23-23 on the season. It's the first time in franchise history that the Lightning have opened a season by going five games without allowing a power play goal. And the Lightning's ability to deal with an extremely motivated opponent and effectively dominate the third period was, as I wrote at the top, extremely impressive.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Lightning. 29 saves.
2. Jimmy Howard - Red Wings. 28 saves.
3. Steven Stamkos - Lightning. GWG.
