Mishkin's Extra Shift: Red Wings 5, Lightning 4 - SO

• The Lightning were facing some tough circumstances. They were coming off a hard-fought, emotional contest on Saturday in Boston. Their turnaround for the second half of the back-to-back was shortened by an hour due to the time change. The four defensemen who played both ends of the back-to-back all saw a lot of minutes against the Bruins (since Victor Hedman only played seven shifts). So there may have been a question about their energy level - both physical and emotional. But while they made some costly mistakes against Detroit, they competed hard throughout the night and showed a lot of fight to battle back from a 4-2 third period deficit.
   
• Still, mistakes were made and they were costly. A couple of turnovers in the offensive zone led to odd-man rush chances and goals for the Red Wings. The Lightning yielded another goal in the closing seconds of the second period, a sequence that began with a Lightning offensive zone faceoff win that took place 15 seconds before the goal. A failed clear on a third period penalty kill allowed the Wings to maintain possession in the offensive zone and eventually score on the power play.
   
• But in looking at the full 60 minutes of regulation and five minutes of OT, the Lightning dictated play for the majority of the time. They enjoyed a solid start (the Wings did control the final 10 minutes of the first after Robby Fabbri opened the scoring with a breakaway goal). The Lightning dominated play for much of the second period, up until that aforementioned Detroit goal in the final seconds of the frame. The Wings carried that momentum into the start of the third and netted two early goals to build a 4-2 lead. But after Brayden Point's tally at 5:55 of the third cut the deficit to 4-3, the Lightning controlled the rest of the period.
   
• Jon Cooper mixed up three of his forward lines to begin the second. Nikita Kucherov moved onto a line with Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn. Tyler Johnson skated with Point and Ondrej Palat. Blake Coleman joined Barclay Goodrow and Carter Verhaeghe. Those new units, along with the Cedric Paquette, Pat Maroon, and Yanni Gourde line, gave the Lightning a spark. We'll see if Cooper keeps those new combinations together on Tuesday in Toronto.
   
• It ended in a shootout loss, but in the process, the Lightning gained another point in the standings. Meaning that they moved one point closer to clinching a playoff berth.

Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game:

1. Dylan Larkin - Red Wings. Goal and two assists. Shootout goal.
2. Brayden Point - Lightning. Two goals.
3. Tyler Bertuzzi - Red Wings. Goal and three assists.