Red Wings' return to new home spoiled by Lightning, 3-2

DETROIT _ After four games on the road the Detroit Red Wings finally got to play a second game in their new home.

They rallied from an early two-goal deficit against Atlantic Division rival Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday at Little Caesars Arena but ultimately fell to a very talented opponent, 3-2.

Justin Abdelkader and Mike Green scored goals. Jimmy Howard made 23 saves.

There were a couple of blown chances to clear the puck cost the Wings as Nikita Kucherov scored on a rebound at 1:47 of the third period. Gustav Nyqvist left midway through the period after a hit from Steven Stamkos. The Wings also were short a man on the ice after Anthony Mantha was called for crosschecking, sending the Lightning on a fifth power play. T

he Wings got a sixth power play with 5:31 to go didn't manage more than one shot on net. Howard was pulled with about a minute to go.

Green had piled up eight assists through the first four games. The second period saw him add his first goal of the season. Tomas Tatar carried the puck into Tampa Bay's zone and centered a pass. Abdelkader briefly touched the puck before going to the net, and Green finished the play to make it 2-2.

Early in the second period, Abdelkader got the puck and raced up the middle and attempted to score on Andrei Vasilevskiy. Abdelkader fell as he neared the net and made contact with Vasilevskiy. The contact had ended before Darren Helm scored on the rebound, but Tampa Bay successfully challenged goaltender interference.

However, officials also ruled Victor Hedman had interfered with Abdelkader, awarding Abdelkader a penalty shot. Abdelkader deked to his forehand to score at 2:30 to edge the Wings within 2-1.

The Wings had a good start to the game, dominating in offensive zone time while the Lightning went 10 minutes without a shot on goal. But then Tyler Johnson picked up a loose puck inside the Lightning's blue line and broke away to score five-hole on Howard, during a Wings' power play no less.

That seemed to demoralize the Wings _ they got nothing going during the remainder of the power play, and then when Tampa Bay got a power play, Kucherov top-shelved the puck for a 2-0 lead. The Wings had the edge in shots, 10-8.