DETROIT -- Justin Abdelkader looked none the worse for wear after he was two-timed into the boards as he was falling down during the third period of Game 5 Saturday at Tampa Bay.
Lightning defenseman Jason Garrison took the body while captain Steven Stamkos added a shot to Abdelkader's head with an elbow, which earned Stamkos a trip to the penalty box.
Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk scored on the ensuing power play, giving the Wings a three-goal lead and effectively putting the Lightning on the ropes in this series.
Abdelkader and Garrison have had a bit of a thing going since Detroit's 4-0 win over Tampa Bay at the Joe in March. But Abdelkader dismissed it as nothing more than what players should expect this time of year.
"There hasn't been anything verbal," said Abdelkader, who led Detroit with nine hits in Game 5. "Both of us play hard physically. I've been finishing my checks the best I can on him and everybody else. And obviously, if you're going to dish it out, you'd better be able to take it.
"He (Garrison) plays the game hard. You've got to be prepared when those guys are on the ice. Same for those guys when I'm on the ice. No hard feelings. It's playoff hockey."
'Petr the Great' making history
That the Red Wings are riding a hot goaltender who's setting records during his first playoff experience surprised absolutely none of Petr Mrazek's teammates.
"He's stopping the puck. It's pretty simple," captain Henrik Zetterberg said when asked about the key to the rookie goalie's success in this series against Tampa Bay. "We saw it in the regular season, and he's keeping it going in the playoffs. He plays with a lot of confidence, and he gives us confidence."
Mrazek made 28 saves in a 4-0 victory Saturday at Tampa to help the Wings take a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 on Monday (6 p.m. pregame, 7 p.m. face-off on FOX Sports Detroit). He also won Game 3 with a shutout, 3-0.
"He was kind of our secret, but now everyone is kind of seeing how good he is," said defenseman Kyle Quincey.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mrazek became the first rookie goaltender in Red Wings history to have two shutouts in the same series in which he made his playoff debut. Others to do it: Earl Robertson, against the New York Rangers in 1937, and Harry Lumley, against Toronto in 1945.
This is the first time since 2008 (the 14th time in franchise history) that a Wings goalie has shut out an opponent twice in one playoff series.
"He has confidence in his ability and he's ultra-competitive," said teammate Justin Abdelkader. "And I think he has a chip on his shoulder, with some people thinking he should have been in the minors all year."
The Wings have a chance to clinch the series Monday with a fourth win, but to Mrazek it doesn't matter.
"I wouldn't say it's any different," said Mrazek, who backstopped Grand Rapids to the American Hockey League's Calder Cup two years ago. "The game starts from 0-0 tomorrow.
"If it's Game 1 or Game 6, regular season or playoffs, it doesn't matter. You just try to be focused and do the best you can. I don't change if I play good or bad games ... It's just hockey."
Sheahan: Force is strong in that one
For all but a few minutes at the end of Game 4, the Red Wings have dominated Tampa Bay since Game 2. One reason: the re-emergence of Riley Sheahan.
Sheahan extended his scoring streak to three games (2-1â3) with a power-play goal 23 seconds into the second period in Game 5. The goal stood as his first career game-winning goal in the playoffs.
"Riley Sheahan has become Riley again," said coach Mike Babcock, adding that just as important was Abdelkader's return from a hand injury, which allowed the Wings to split up Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg. "All of a sudden, we have four centers instead of two. Makes a big difference."
Each of Sheahan's two career postseason goals has been scored on the man-advantage.
Ice chips
Jonathan Ericsson had two assists in Game 5, his second multi-assist game of the post-season ... Zetterberg's assist Saturday extended his point streak to three games ... Danny Dekeyser scored his second career playoff goal into an empty net -- from behind the goal line at the other end of the rink, more than 190 feet away ... Babcock earned his 82nd coaching playoff victory (82-60), tying him with Toe Blake for ninth place on the NHL's all-time postseason wins list among head coaches.
