Mrazek, Datsyuk lead Red Wings to Game 1 victory over Lightning
Pavel Datsyuk scored twice, Petr Mrazek made 44 saves and Luke Glendening tallied the eventual game-winning goal as the Detroit Red Wings opened their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 3-2 victory.
Star Performer: Datsyuk scored on the Red Wings' first shot of the game on a beautiful redirection nine minutes in, then scored again eight seconds into the second stanza.
Turning Point: Glendening gave Detroit a 3-1 lead with a shorthanded insurance marker that held up as the game-winner early in the third period.
Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov cut the lead to one about three minutes later, but that was as close as Tampa Bay would get.
Goalie Comparison: Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop faced only 14 shots, and the light workload clearly affected his performance, while Mrazek was under fire all night and rose to the occasion.
| Goalie | Shots | GA | Saves | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop | 14 | 3 | 11 | .786 |
| Mrazek | 46 | 2 | 44 | .957 |
Top Highlight: Lightning forward Brian Boyle provided an unexpected spark when he broke up a Red Wings power-play chance and went the length of the ice to score a terrific goal.
Stat of the Night: Datsyuk's lightning-quick second goal set a franchise record, eclipsing Mr. Hockey's mark set 61 years ago.
.@Datsyuk13's goal 0:08 into 2nd is fastest to start a period in @DetroitRedWings playoff history (previous: G. Howe, 0:09, 1st pd 04/01/54)
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 17, 2015
Series at a glance:
Game 1: Red Wings 3, Lightning 2
Game 2: Saturday, April 18, 3 p.m. ET
Game 3: Tuesday, April 21, 7 p.m. ET
Game 4: Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m. ET
Game 5*: Saturday, April 25, TBA
Game 6*: Monday, April 27, TBA
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 29, TBA
*If necessary