Red Wings dominate listless Lightning to regain series lead
There was no gash on Luke Glendening's hand, no wizardry from Tyler Johnson.
Petr Mrazek made 28 saves, shutting out the Tampa Bay Lightning for a third time this season as the Detroit Red Wings doubled their two-goal third-period lead rather than coughing it up, winning Game 5 by a 4-0 final.
The Red Wings have been the dominant for the vast majority of the series, successfully rendering Steven Stamkos and their luminous division rival inexplicably anemic.
Detroit will look to close out the series on home ice Monday night.
Star Performer: Mrazek wasn't truly thrust into duty until the third, when the Lightning fired 14 desperation shots on the netminder, but he continues to make coach Mike Babcock look ingenious.
Turning Point: When Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall worked the puck around to Riley Sheahan on the power play late in the first, he gave the Red Wings the edge in an even-matched opening period.
Goalie Comparison: Ben Bishop wasn't terrible, but was second-best once again. He failed to control a weak shot from Glendening, placing the rebound on the stick of Drew Miller for the 2-0 goal.
| Goalie | Shots | GA | Saves | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrazek | 28 | 0 | 28 | 1.000 |
| Bishop | 29 | 3 | 26 | 0.897 |
Top Highlight: Let's go back to Detroit's power-play marker in the first, in which the Red Wings worked the puck around the umbrella until Sheahan one-touched it home.
Stat of the Night: Mrazek became the first rookie goaltender in Red Wings history to record two shutouts in a series since the 1945 Stanley Cup Final when Harry Lumley blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs twice (via StatsCentre).
Series at a glance
Game 1: Red Wings 3, Lightning 2
Game 2: Lightning 5, Red Wings 1
Game 3: Red Wings 3, Lightning 0
Game 4: Lightning 3, Red Wings 2 (OT)
Game 5: Red Wings 4, Lightning 0
Game 6: Monday, April 27, TBA
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 29, TBA
*If necessary