Detroit’s anemic power play was joined by a lackluster penalty kill as the Tampa Bay Lightning won Game 4 3-2 behind three power-play goals, the game-winner from Ondrej Palat with 2:59 to go in the third. The defending Eastern Conference champions lead the series 3-1 and can close out its first-round series at home on Thursday night.
Left Wing Ondrej Palat (#18)
Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead after the first period on a Nikita Kucherov goal, only 9 seconds after Justin Abdelkader went to the box for holding. Kucherov doubled the lead with the his 5th goal of the series midway through the second period with Riley Sheahan in the penalty box.
The Lightning had a chance to put the game away but for Petr Mrazek’s goaltending. He made several big saves which part a charge in the Detroit offense.
Luke Glendening drove hard to the net and forced Ben Bishop to make a save. Glendening knocked the rebound out of midair across the front of the goal, where Darren Helm knocked in the puck to get Detroit on the board.
With 10 seconds left in the period, Gustav Nyquist — fresh out of the penalty box for a questionable goalie interference penalty — scored a one-timer off a saucer pass from Sheahan to tie the game going into the third period.
Detroit’s best chance of the third period came on the power play, when Dylan Larkin beat Bishop with a backhander from in close, but hit the post and stayed out of the net.
With 4:42 left in the game, Jonathan Ericsson went to the box for cross checking Ondrej Palat. Palat scored the game-winner from Kucherov and Jonathan Drouin, who picked up two assists in the game.
Detroit’s power play slumped to 1-for-21 in the first four games of the series, which has left their season on the brink.
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