It’s safe to say that Game 3 wasn’t the Lightning’s best performance of the 2016 playoffs.
The Bolts managed to take just 16 shots on Detroit’s Petr Mrazek and not one of those shots found the back of the net. Tampa Bay’s top line of Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov, who dominated the first two games of the series, didn’t register a single shot on goal.
If the Lightning expected the Wings to roll over and die because they were down 2-0, they got a rude awakening.
The Wings played a physical brand of hockey and it seemed like the Lightning just weren’t ready to compete on Sunday. The lack of effort didn’t go unnoticed by head coach Jon Cooper.
#tblightning Cooper on taking 16 shots: "I don't know if they needed a goaltender tonight to be honest."
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 18, 2016
#tblightning Cooper said they weren't desperate to win a hockey game. "We just came int to play a hockey game." "Will wasn't there."
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 18, 2016
Cooper: "I'm not so sure there myself, their coach or anybody in this room was thinking this would be a sweep..Now it's a series."
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 18, 2016
The Red Wings won 2-0, but things could have been a lot worse if their power play would have taken advantage of their numerous opportunities. The Bolts gave the Wings three power plays in the first period, including a 5-on-3 advantage.
The Lightning will need to play like they did in Game 1 and 2 if they want to have a chance to close out this series as quickly as possible. They’ll have a chance to avenge this loss on Tuesday night when Game 4 is played at Joe Louis Arena.