Let’s break it down nice and simple.
In regulation and all situations, the Tampa Bay Lightning did the following in their 1-0 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings. To reinforce how dumb this game was:
- Out attempted Detroit 62-31
- Out chanced Detroit 37-18
- Created more high danger chances than Detroit 19-6
- Generated an expected goals percentage of 78%
- Hit four posts
- Hit the side of the net on clear goals twice
- Had a goal overturned due to goaltender interference
- And did this/
Tampa Bay should’ve won this game 4-0 nothing, and that’s with the overturned goal call in the third period. Detroit had no business even taking this game to overtime. Curtis McElhinney’s strong game goes unrewarded, but the Lightning offense both lucked out and sputtered at the most inopportune times. Tampa Bay couldn’t convert on four power-play opportunities, including a prolonged 5-on-3, with the best road power-play in the league.
There’s nothing to wax poetic about; Detroit won this game due to Thomas Greiss playing a spectacular game, some extremely fortunate bounces going against the Lightning, and the sheer randomness of the shootout (which went eight rounds).
Just another reminder that hockey can be an infuriatingly dumb sport on some nights. That’s how it goes, though. Shrug it off and get ready for tomorrow afternoon’s game.
Just don’t do this because of today’s game.
It’s annoying and partly hilarious, but this game was nothing more than a fluke.
