The Red Wings could not keep up with the Lightning's relentless speed, and it burned them in a 3-2 loss in the opening game of Round 1. Tampa Bay may have taken the first game of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, but it was not without a scare.
Red Wings vs. Lightning 2016 final score: Lightning overpower Red Wings with 3-2 Game 1 victory
Tampa Bay weathered a Detroit storm and countered for a win in the opening game of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Even without Steven Stamkos and Anton Stralman, the Lightning asserted themselves early. Nikita Kucherov ended the game with three points -- on two goals and an assist -- and the 22-year-old had the honor of having the first goal of the postseason, a seeing-eye shot that had top shelf written all over it.
Tampa Bay's scare came in the second period, when they allowed two goals within the opening minutes. Detroit's defensemen were key in helping the Red Wings out to a 2-1 lead. Both goals -- one a shot through a screen from Mike Green and the other on a tip from Justin Abdelkader -- came from the right point, with the second coming off a failed Lightning clear.
But that’d be all the Red Wings would get. The Lightning tightened up their play and eventually broke even on Kucherov’s second of the night, a dirty, bang away goal on the doorstep.
Alex Killorn had the game-winner for Tampa Bay, on a crafty redirection after a bad Red Wings turnover down low.
3 things we learned
1. We got our first look at the new blue line camera
The much-maligned offside coaches challenge got an upgrade this postseason. Now, the officials will be able to use cameras lined up on the blue lines to determine offsides on challenged plays.
Time to test out those fancy new blueline cameras at #DETvsTBL for a Coach's Challenge: pic.twitter.com/DKOwHU4pje
— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) April 14, 2016
The cameras came in handy, helping the referees disallow a called Lightning goal that originally broke the 2-2 tie in the third period.
2. Things weren’t exactly civil
The Red Wings clearly remember their first-round exit from last year's playoffs. The pushing and shoving was around all game, including at the final whistle, but it really came to a head as Braydon Coburn and Dylan Larkin came together.
3. Nor were they legal
Game 1 had a total of 36 penalty minutes between the two teams, with each side taking 18. Neither team scored on the power play, but if the series remains as chippy as the first game, special teams might just factor in deciding who moves on to the next round.
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