This was the Red Wings’ best game so far in the series – and the Lightning’s worst. Detroit played with high intensity and physicality, finishing checks all over the ice. As they did in Game One, they boxed out well defensively in front of goalie Petr Mrazek. And like Game One, Mrazek was very sharp.
The Lightning, on the other hand, struggled with their execution. Their passing was off target for most of the night, which prevented them from generating any speed off the rush or even moving pucks up ice with possession. Too often errant passes ended up deflecting off or missing Lightning players and sliding right to the opposition.