TAMPA, Fla. _ The Detroit Red Wings managed to keep it close as they took on the best team in the NHL.
Facing off against the playoff-clinched Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at Amalie Arena, the Wings fell behind early but didn't collapse. The Wings lost for the 14th straight time to the Lightning, but the 3-2 final will at least help the Wings' draft lottery odds.
Thomas Vanek pulled the Wings within a goal late in the second period when he tipped a Niklas Kronwall shot. Jonathan Bernier stoned Yannick Gourde twice during a Tampa Bay's third power play, which was among several stellar saves Bernier made in the third period. Anthony Mantha took a pass from Kronwall and used Vanek as a screen to make it 3-2 with 56 seconds to play in regulation.
Nikita Kucherov scored twice to reach 110 points on the season.
The Wings fell behind three minutes into the game when Ryan McDonagh fired a shot from the blue line through traffic. The goal horn sounded again a few minutes later but officials immediately waved off the goal, and video review showed Victor Hedman's shot never crossed the goal line. Video replays of the goal that made it 2-0 showed a stunning lapse in judgment as Kucherov was left wide open in front of the net, leading to his 32nd goal of the season. Both Jonathan Ericsson and Trevor Daley were tied up behind the goal line, and Andreas Athanasiou did not cover Kucherov.
Filip Zadina made his sixth appearance of the season, playing on a line with Frans Nielsen and Vanek and also on Nielsen's power-play unit. Zadina forced two saves from Louis Domingue on wrist shots in the second period, and looked confident skating with the puck during the second power play, making a play to get the puck to Nielsen. Zadina got the Wings their third power play when he drew a high-sticking call on Mathieu Joseph. Zadina earned his first NHL assist when he had a hand in Vanek's power play goal.
Vanek netted his 13th goal of the season with one second left on the Wings' fifth power play. Vanek was to the right of Tampa's net when Kronwall fired a shot from the blue line, and Vanek managed to tip the puck to pull the Wings within 2-1, with four seconds left in the second period. It was Vanek's 47th career point (29 goals, 18 assists) in 48 career games against the Lightning. It was also his third point in three games since returning from a sore hip.
