Red Wings 3, Lightning 1
DETROIT -- Center Henrik Zetterberg had a goal and an assist to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at Joe Louis Arena.
It was a small bit of revenge for the Red Wings, who lost to Tampa Bay in a first round playoff series in seven games last season.
Winger Gustav Nyquist and defenseman Kyle Quincey also scored for Detroit and goaltender Jimmy Howard made 2o saves.
Right winger Ryan Callahan scored for Tampa Bay and goalie Ben Bishop stopped 21 shots.
Nyquist opened the scoring with a power-play goal with 2:10 left in the second period. He beat Bishop with a wrist shot from the right face-off dot. It was Nyquist's first goal of the season.
Zetterberg made it 2-0 8:25 into the second period with his second goal. He scored on a shot from the high slot.
Callahan put the Lightning on the board with 8:57 left. He beat Howard with a one-time slap shot from the top of the right circle. It was Callahan's second goal and the first that Howard had given up this season.
Quincey scored into an empty net with less than two minutes left to seal it.
Red Wings defenseman Mike Green made an outstanding defensive play by diving and knocking the puck away from Lightning right winger J.T. Brown at the center red line to prevent a breakaway with a little less than three minutes remaining in the second.
Howard stopped center Vladislav Namestnikov from the right circle on a 2-on-1 rush a little past the halfway mark of the second period.
Lightning center Steven Stamkos hit the goal post from the high slot area with 3:29 left in the middle period.
Howard stopped Tampa Bay right winger Erik Condra from the right circle off the rush with 6:09 left in the first period.
Bishop made a nice save on Nyquist from the slot with 3:48 remaining in the opening period.
NOTES: Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper have known each other for 15 years and are good friends. They coached against each other in the junior United States Hockey League and the American Hockey League. ... Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman spent his entire Hall of Fame playing career with Detroit. ... The Red Wings were without C Pavel Datsyuk (recovering from ankle surgery), D Dan DeKeyser (foot) and F Darren Helm (shoulder, concussion). Detroit RW Johan Franzen was a late scratch. He was replaced in the lineup by C Landon Ferraro. ... Tampa Bay was without F Craig Paquette (foot).