Detroit — The personnel on the Red Wings’ line rushes at the morning skate Sunday was so topsy-turvy some observers concluded it as all a ruse.
Was Jeff Blashill purposefully skating odd combinations to throw the Lightning off a bit?
As it turned out, it was Blashill’s new order.
One of the series of strategic moves by the rookie NHL coach before Game 3, which helped delivered the first victory in the 2016 playoffs for the Wings, was an entirely unfamiliar combination of forwards charged with the most challenging of duties.
The Wings needed to harness the Lightning's powerful Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn.