TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Lightning desperately needed to win Saturday and played with urgency. The faster Lightning pressured the Detroit Red Wings defense into mistakes, building a four-goal lead through 40 minutes on the way to a 5-1 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series at Amalie Arena.
The series is tied 1-1 heading to Joe Louis Arena for Games 3 and 4 Tuesday and Thursday.
Tyler Johnson scored twice for Tampa Bay, which chased Game 1 hero Petr Mrazek from the game after two periods. He was replaced by Jimmy Howard at the start of the third period, more than likely as an attempt to shift momentum rather than a reflection of Mrazek’s play.
The Red Wings had opportunities in the first two periods but went 0 for 4 on the power play, which was ranked second in the league during the season. The first three were particularly ineffective before Detroit generated some chances on the fourth one.