TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning enjoyed a two-goal lead for most of Saturday afternoon’s game against the Red Wings until an early third-period goal put Tampa Bay on its heels.
Despite sitting in last place in the Central Division, Detroit hasn’t played poorly against some of the division’s top teams. The last time the Lightning met the Red Wings in Detroit, they were on the wrong side of a two-goal loss that was among the team’s most frustrating of the season.
After former Lightning forward Adam Erne scored in traffic four minutes into the third period Saturday, the Lightning had to outlast Detroit for a 2-1 win, their second straight following a season-high three-game losing streak.
The Lightning (26-9-2) improved to 19-0 when leading after two periods this season.
Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper again turned to his fourth line to provide a spark off the puck drop, starting the line centered by rookie Ross Colton alongside Pat Maroon and Mathieu Joseph.
That line gave the Lightning a quick lead, as Colton scored his fourth goal of the season just 4:07 into the game.
Defenseman Andreas Borgman put a puck on net from the offensive blue line, Maroon tried to force it inside the left post, and it bounced out to Colton, who scored into a wide-open net.
The fourth line has scored in four straight games, and in Thursday’s 3-2 comeback win over Columbus, Colton scored the game-tying goal late in the third period.
The Lightning’s second goal was a clinic on passing. Defenseman Victor Hedman took a pass from Ondrej Palat on the move above the left circle and made a touch pass to Brayden Point down through the slot. Point buried a shot inside the right post for a 2-0 lead.
That goal was Point’s third goal in two games after snapping a four-game scoreless streak Thursday with a two-score game.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was coming off his three highest-save totals of the season in his last three starts, and held off Detroit (12-22-5) throughout the second and third periods.
Vasilevskiy had 24 saves as he recorded his league-leading 23rd win of the season in 29 games.
After the Red Wings emptied their net and added an extra attacker with 1:41 left, Vasilevskiy made two key saves, stopping Robby Fabbri’s wrister from the left circle and a shot from the opposite side from Filip Zadina.
