First Period
Wings have 3 SOG in the first 3 minutes, we can call that a good start. Then the Wings take a hooking penalty. Czarnik in the Bad Boy Box and the Wings are on the penalty kill against the currently best powerplay in the NHL. Penalty killed without Lyon having to do much work, we’re back to having a Good Start.
The following minutes are not going great, Tampa is spending too much time in the Wings zone. Like they’re still on the powerplay.
Ice seems soft, a lot of unassisted slip and falls.
Another penalty. Raymond falsely imprisoned in the Punishment Pen. Wings to their second powerplay. Lyon putting in work now assisted by some good puck luck. Penalty killed! Wings get their first good chance as the powerplay expires with Raymond out of the box catching up to Larkin who carried in the puck (no dump and chase, wow!).
Edvinsson catches a puck up high, we see him being prodded in the neck on the bench but seems to be ok.
Wings have 5 SOG with 4 minutes to go and get their 6th with a Raymond breakaway. Puck was bouncing and bobbling and he couldn’t settle it. Calling it a shot is a bit generous.
Wings get their first powerplay with 2:30 to go, Hagel in the Crimes Cabana for hooking. Ghost doing a good job keeping the puck in the zone but the Wings aren’t able to make anything of it. Puck is bouncing a lot. Penalty killed 🙁
That’ll do it. Shots 17-12 Bolts and score 0-0.
Second Period
Joe Veleno kicking things off with the smelling salts on the bench.
Patrick Kane really kicking things off with a sick backhand goal off a Larkin shot. He wasn’t even looking. Just threw it toward the net to see what would happen. 1-0 Red Wings at 19:23. Was almost 2-0 a minute later as Perron hit the post close enough that Ken started yelling and cut himself off.
4 minutes in and the refs say there’s a good goal for the Bolts. Alex Lyon is bowled over as Cirelli is crashing the net. The question was: did Larkin push him? The call on the ice does not stand. No goal for the Bolts. The puck wasn’t over the line before Lyon was, it was barely in the crease, they were both helped into the net by a sliding Cirelli.
The Bolts have Goal Challenge Expert Jeff Blashill on staff but they decide not to challenge. Mick thinks the deliberation was ridiculous and it should have been a done deal the moment the refs overturned the goal which took about 30 seconds. It was a classic Mick rant. Still 1-0 Wings.
Wings get their second powerplay. Hedman in the Jerk Jail for tripping. Lyon makes a huge save…or did he? He’s snuggled up to the post. Bolts think they scored a shorty and celebrate, it’s hard to find an angle that shows anything. The call is no goal but they are reviewing. It’s Cirelli again. After a long review, the call stands again. NO GOAL.
Seconds later, here come the Bolts again. And guess who scores a good goal? Cirelli. Third time was the charm. Tie game. Remember, this is a Red Wings powerplay. Bolts get their third break of the powerplay but miss on the shot. Penalty thoroughly murdered. That gave the Bolts a huge surge of energy.
That gets us to the halfway point.
A less exciting second half of the period until Seider blocks a shot and is in pain but is determined to grit it out. Raymond breaks in like the Bolts are standing still but between him and Ras they just aren’t able to get it past Vasilevskiy from point blank. Raymond is sour at the missed opportunity.
Last minute the Bolts get away with Too Much Man but did we really want a powerplay? Last second Fischer blasts a long-range shot and hits the post.
Third Period
We start the period with a Red Wings powerplay! Terrifying. Raddysh plants himself in the Goon Garden. The Bolts do not score short handed and the Wings don’t score either. Penalty killed.
Compher picks up the puck and bullies his way to the net. Fabbri picks up the rebound and SCOOOOOOOOOOORES! 2-1 Wings.
Copp gets in trouble for hitting Chaffee into the boards, wasn’t in the numbers but he was already turned awkwardly. Copp in the Asshole Asylum for boarding. It’s a fair penalty. Wings on the penalty kill. To no one’s surprise, Stamkos scores. Tie game. Can’t leave him open in the dot how many times has he made us pay for it over the years? Bolts powerplay has been too good to get shut down all game.
Joe Veleno has been bench decor all game, he’s played like one minute a period. Sick? In the dog house? Some kind of feng shui strategy? It’s a mystery.
Halfway point. It’s all Lightning. Wings players reaching the 2-minute shift mark.
Jeff Petry saves a goal. On purpose even.
Ras heads to the room after falling down awkwardly so Veleno is back in action fresh as a daisy.
5 minutes to go.
Wings getting lucky with the Bolts missing their shots.
Wings show skill with a touch of luck as DAVID PERRON SCOOOOOOOOOORES! Another shot that rebounds to someone on the doorstep. 3-2 Wings.
2 minutes to go.
Net empty.
Big save by Lyon and a very mild scrum ensues behind the net.
1:10 to go.
LUCAS RAYMOND SCOOOOOOOOOOOORES! LISTEN TO THE WINGS CROWD ROAR. 4-2 WINGS.
1 minute to go. Net empty again.
30 seconds.
A Let’s Go Red Wings chant breaks out.
RED WINGS WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN! THAT’S A SEASON SWEEP OF THE BOLTS.
