|
 Johnson scored two goals, the first just 3:47 into the game, and the
Tampa Bay Lightning forced a Game 7 of the Eastern Conference
first-round playoff series with a 5-2 win against the Detroit Red
Wings on Monday night at Joe Louis Arena.
The series is tied at three games apiece, and Game 7 is Wednesday
night in Tampa Bay.
"The first goal changes the game. It changes the way you play, your
structure and your system," said Johnson, who has six goals and an
assist in the series.
Said Tampa Bay right winger Ryan Callahan: "You see it. That's
impressive what he's doing right now. It speaks for itself."
Center Alex Killlorn, defenseman Jason Garrison and center Cedric
Paquette also scored for Tampa Bay. Right winger Nikita Kucherov had
three assists and goaltender Ben Bishop made 22 saves.
"We skated. That's what changed." Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
"Pucks were going tape to tape and we put them in areas we could get
them ."
Left winger Tomas Tatar had two goals for Detroit, and goalie Petr
Mrazek stopped 23 shots.
"We have to get our mind right again, and get ready for a Game 7. No
team's been able to win two games in a row thus far in the series,
so let's go to Tampa." Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "I thought
we were going along pretty fine there at the start, then next thing
you know it's in our net."
Tatar brought the Red Wings to within 3-2 just 1:39 into the third
period with his second goal of the game. Off a face-off in the
Lightning zone, he got control of a bouncing puck in front of the
net, turned around and put it past Bishop for Tatar's third goal of
the playoffs.
But Killorn scored with 5:09 left to restore the two-goal lead. It
was his second goal of the playoffs.
Paquette added an empty-net, shorthanded goal in the final minute.
"It was nice to score a couple of goals, especially in this
building. We needed them," Tampa Bay center Brian Boyle said. "...
Just gave us a chance to play another game. Pretty much the same
situation."
Johnson opened the scoring 3:47 into the game. He cut in off the
right wing, around Detroit defenseman Danny DeKeyser, and beat
Mrazek high on the short side from the bottom of the right circle.
[to top of second column] |
"It kind of helped us out today, getting more room and speed out
there," Johnson said. "We were moving our legs, making it more
difficult for them. That had a lot to do with desperation."
Garrison made it 2-0 with 9:50 left in the first period.
He moved in on a rush to make it a 4-on-3, took a cross-ice pass
from center Steven Stamkos and beat Mrazek with a wrist shot from
the inside edge of the left circle. It was Garrison's first goal of
the playoffs.
Johnson's second goal of the game made it 3-0, 9:51 into the second
period. He put in a wrist shot from the high slot off the rush.
Tatar put Detroit on the board with a power-play goal with 7:34 left
in the period. He beat Bishop with a wrist shot from the right
circle.
Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall laid a heavy check on Kucherov
with about a minute left in the middle period just inside the Tampa
Bay zone. Kronwall's shoulder and elbow made contact with Kucherov's
head but there was no penalty.
NOTES: Detroit C Pavel Datsyuk was matched against Tampa Bay C
Steven Stamkos, and the Red Wings' fourth line of C Luke Glendening,
LW Drew Miller and RW Landon Ferraro faced the Lightning's second
line of C Tyler Johnson, LW Ondrej Palat and RW Nikita Kucherov. ...
Detroit G Petr Mrazek came into the game with two shutouts in the
series and had allowed three goals in the past three games. ... The
Red Wings' last playoff series win was in the 2013 first round when
they beat the Anaheim Ducks in seven games.... Former Red Wings and
Hall of Fame defenseman Marcel Pronovost died after a short illness
at the age of 84. Pronovost spent 15 of his 20-season NHL career
with Detroit.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
