Never one to mince words, Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk got right to the point in his assessment of goalie Petr Mrazek.
“He plays well,… Datsyuk said. “Coach trusts him and team trusts him.…
Why wouldn’t they?
Mrazek turned in a 28-save shutout performance Saturday as the Wings rebounded from a heartbreaking Game 4 setback to blank the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 at Amalie Arena and gain a 3-2 advantage in this best-of-seven Stanley Cup opening-round series.
After the Wings squandered a 2-0 lead in the final six minutes of regulation and lost Game 4 by a 3-2 overtime decision, Detroit coach Mike Babcock had a heart-to-heart with his rookie netminder to ensure his head was in the right space.
“We talked about it today,… Mrazek said. “He said it’s a fun time of year and I know that.
“When it’s the playoffs you don’t want to go home after four losses and come home sad and wait for next year. You just want to enjoy every game you have and win the game.…
Mrazek, who also blanked the Lightning 3-0 in Game 3, became the 14th goalie in franchise history to post two shutouts in the same playoff series. He joined Harry Lumley (1945) and Earl Robertson (1937) as the only Detroit rookies to do it and Normie Smith (1936) as the only netminders to post a pair of zeroes in their first playoff series as Red Wings.
The Wings are 12-1 in the 13 previous series in which their goaltender posted a pair of shutouts.
From the first time Mrazek was called up to Detroit during the 2012-13 season, Babcock admired the kid’s moxie.
“He’s a competitor,… Babcock said. “We talk about this all the time. He’s got good savvy about him and he thinks he’s going to win.
“He’s just a real confident guy and he’s got great athleticism, plays the puck well and he’s playing well for us this series. We just need him to keep getting better like the rest of the team.…
Detroit Goalies With Two Shutouts In A Playoff Series 1936 Normie Smith, semifinal vs. Montreal Maroons 1937 Earl Robertson, final vs. New York Rangers 1943 Johnny Mowers, final vs. Boston Bruins 1945 Harry Lumley, final vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 1950 Harry Lumley, semifinal vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 1952 Terry Sawchuk, semifinal vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 1952 Terry Sawchuk, final vs. Montreal Canadiens 1987 Glen Hanlon, second round vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 1992 Tim Cheveldae, first round vs. Minnesota North Stars 2000 Chris Osgood, first round vs. Los Angeles Kings 2002 Dominik Hasek, second round vs. St. Louis Blues 2002 Dominik Hasek, conference final vs. Colorado Avalanche 2008 Chris Osgood, final vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 2015 Petr Mrazek, first round vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
All A’s For Z Though he didn’t get any of Detroit’s four goals, captain Henrik Zetterberg set the tone for the evening with his tenacious defensive performance and unyielding effort on the backcheck, constantly disrupting the Lightning attack and frustrating their talented forwards.
“We took control right away of the game,… Zetterberg said. “The PK was real good again and we got two on the power play.
“We didn’t play as good as we wanted in Games 1 and 2 but we’ve been taking a step each game and now we’ve got to go home and play Game 6.…
Toughing It Out Though the thumb injury he suffered in Game 4 hindered his ability to take faceoffs, little else was affected in Detroit center Luke Glendening’s game. He drew an assist on Drew Miller’s goal that made it 2-0 and was his usual steady self all night long.
“Glenny is one of those guys you always want to have on your team in the lineup,… Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “He’s so effective for us whether that’s five-on-five or on the PK.
“He’s making the right plays, the right decisions, one of the hardest working guys, just does the right things every time.…
Miller smiled at the ease with which he was able to convert Glendening’s rebound for his goal.
“I just came off the bench and yelled at Glenny,… Miller said. “We had a three on two. I just drove the middle, he put a good shot on net and the rebound was just sitting there.
“Those are the ones you like to get. You just tap them in. Right place, right time.…
Already with two goals in the series, that was Glendening’s first assist.
“I think I’m teaching him a little bit about offense and how to get some points as well,… Miller said. “He’s become an all-around player.…
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