Saturday, 3 a.m.
For the Detroit Red Wings, the stuff of nightmares includes a Lightning Bolt.
The Red Wings were flummoxed by the Lightning again Friday night, dropping a 3-1 win that the Bolts found less than satisfying.
The Lightning have now won 16 in a row at home over the Red Wings, tied for the second longest active home win streak against one opponent in the NHL (also: Philadelphia 16-game active home win streak versus Chicago).
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Tampa Bay played a poor second period -- their worst of the season, according to Pat Maroon -- but closed out the game with a strong third period. Detroit managed just four shots in the last period and had only one quality scoring chance.
"It doesn't matter where you are in the standings., the other team is trying," said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. "It’s one thing if the execution isn’t quite there, but we were getting outworked. It doesn't take skill to get outrworked.
"We had to get back to it. I do give the guys credit. As much of a stinker as the second period was, we held them to four shots and one big-time chance.
"You have to like that about your team. When it’s time to close out a game — even when you’re not at your best — you’ve got to find a way to win some of those. We did against a very determined Detroit team."
For the Bolts, now 7-1-1 on the season, Barclay Goodrow scored. Goodrow played eight games with the lightning last. year and nine this year, but those were the first two goals he has scored for the team.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 of 28 shots. He is the only goaltender in the NHL to have played every minute of every game for his team.
The Lightning go on the road for a four-game trip, beginning Monday, February 8 in Nashville with the start of a back-to-back set against the Predators from Bridgestone Arena (8 p.m. puck drop).