The Tampa Bay Lightning were outplayed for most of Thursday night’s game, but Tyler Johnson was there to save the day. Late-game heroics from the sophomore forward were ultimately enough to salvage Tampa’s second win of this Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchup with the Detroit Red Wings. The 3-2 overtime victory knots the series at two wins each, and puts home-ice advantage back in the Lightning’s court.
Like in Game Three, the Red Wings came out with speed and energy. That expected early storm carried them through the first period and right into the second with ease. They came in waves, while the Bolts struggled to get through the neutral zone. Detroit at its best is one of the truly elite teams in hockey, and it showed for most of the night on Thursday.
That hard work paid off for Mike Babcock’s squad just 5:42 into the second frame. Assisted nicely by Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader, Gustav Nyquist scored his first goal of the playoffs to put the Wings up 1-0. Some questionable defensive coverage from Matt Carle and Braydon Coburn allowed Detroit to strike, and Ben Bishop really had no chance. The goal really sums up the threat that’s present when Babcock has the ability to split up Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, as mentioned in the pre-game blog.
Following that Nyquist goal, the atmosphere on Lightning Twitter changed. You know things aren’t going your team’s way when a one-goal deficit feels insurmountable. The Wings were playing their game, and the Lightning, well, weren’t.
Things went from bad to worse before the second period ended when, at 14:24, Joakim Andersson scored his first of the series to double the Detroit lead. Bishop had trouble with Andersson’s original shot, and ended up swatting the puck into his own net for no apparent reason. At that point, it just looked like another bad night for Tampa Bay.
It took a long while, but the tides finally turned in the Lightning’s direction late in the third period. Maybe Detroit’s skaters took their lead for granted, or maybe the Lightning adjusted something. Regardless, the result was that Tampa was able to use their speed to get behind the opposition’s defense, something they did all season long with great success.
And, unsurprisingly, it was the Triplets line that led the charge. As they did on so many occasions during the regular season, that trio put the rest of the team on its back. Tyler Johnson got the scoring party started at 14:34 of the third, and gave his team some life. Helped out by Anton Stralman, Johnson used his wheels to make a great end-to-end rush that culminated with his third goal of the series. Petr Mrazek’s shutout streak was over, and Johnson’s night was just beginning.
Just over one minute later, Ondrej Palat scored to tie the game at two. Fed on the rush by Johnson, Palat tipped the puck past Mrazek with ease. That’s what happens when the Lightning, and specifically these players, use their speed. The second assist on the goal was credited to Jason Garrison, who was making his playoff debut after missing a significant chunk of time with an injury. His return and contribution couldn't have come at a better time.
Those goals forced the game into overtime, but the Triplets didn’t need too many more seconds to score again. Again on the rush, Johnson took a slick Victor Hedman pass and sent the puck home from a wide angle to end the game. And again, it was the Bolts’ speed that made the difference. Johnson’s second of the night and fourth of the series is what’s sending this series back to Tampa tied at two, with the Bolts holding home-ice advantage.
While I think it’s important that the Lightning enjoy this victory, it’s also vital that they don’t view this as a ‘good enough’ performance. The reality is that Detroit was the better team for most of the game, and likely deserved to win. But, as NHL teams know all too well, deserved wins don't count for much at this time of year. Still, Tampa will need to be better in Game Five and beyond.
Maybe this is just the Hockey Gods responding to what transpired in Game One.
As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter.