The Wings have more shots (13-8), but barely any strong scoring chances, and it’s 1-0 Lightning after the first period.
For all the talk of the Lightning’s injured players, three made a significant impact in the opening period. Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson assisted on Nikita Kucherov’s goal, and defenseman Victor Hedman cleared a loose puck in the crease that saved a Wings goal.
Tampa Bay was 35-9-0 in the regular season when scoring first (fourth best in the NHL).
Johnson continues to hurt the Wings. He had six goals in last year's series — including the haunting Game 4 overtime winner at Detroit.