With Lightning behind in series, Steven Stamkos challenges himself, teammates
A pretty good-sized mirror hangs over several sinks back in the shower area of the visitors' dressing room at Joe Louis Arena, and Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos suggests that his teammates "take a little peek" into it.
He did, and he wasn't thrilled with what he saw after his team was shut out, 3-0, in Game 3 of this first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
After scoring 43 goals in 82 games of the regular season, second in the NHL only to Washington's Alex Ovechkin, Stamkos is still looking for his first goal heading into Thursday night's Game 4 (7 p.m., FOX Sports Florida).
Stamkos, 25, a center with four 40-goal seasons to his credit, had eight shots on goal in the 46-shot barrage at Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek in the series opener. In the next two games, he had a total of three shots on goal. He has two assists in the series.
"We have to step up, myself included, next game and try to find a way," Stamkos said after Wednesday's practice. "It's not for lack of effort. This is a tough part of the year to generate, and obviously when you get shut out we didn't generate enough.
"For me, I want to compete harder. You look at those first two games and what we did well â and what we didn't do last game. I'm definitely going to be better next game, and I'm looking forward to that challenge. It's not easy hockey out there. These are the playoffs, and it's tough. But we have to find a way to get through, and hopefully I can lead the way."
With Luke Glendening's line neutralizing Tampa Bay's other great scoring line centered by Tyler Johnson, Stamkos finds himself matched against Pavel Datsyuk's line, and the last change at home gave Detroit a decided advantage. It helps, too, that the Wings' top defensive pair of Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson logs a lot of ice against Stamkos.
The Wings' strategy against Stamkos is fairly simple â though easier said than done.
"We know he's skilled and fast and we have to try to take away his speed and time out there," Ericsson said. "I think all of us have done a good job so far. He's always a dangerous threat, especially in the defensive zone from inside the blue line. He's got a real good shot, and he's dangerous from wherever he shoots the puck.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper believes it's just a matter of time before Stamkos puts his fingerprints on this series.
"The thing about Stammer is, he's done it on numerous occasions for us," Cooper said. "So you see a close game and he happens not to score, and all of a sudden alarms are going off and people are asking, 'What's wrong with Stammer?'
"Does he wish he had a couple of goals in this series? Sure. Do I think Detroit will keep him down the whole series? I don't. It's just a matter of time with him. . . So I'm not worried about it."
Meantime, Stamkos also knows he's not alone among those who need to raise their game if the heavily favored Lightning is to dispatch Detroit in this series.
"Every one of us knows what to expect this time of year. We have to have a better effort, and it starts with each and every one of us taking a little peek into the mirror and realizing what we have to bring to this team, what are role is and how we're going to compete. When we do that, we're a good team."
LIGHTNING TIRED?
The Red Wings know they need to hold serve in Game 4 to retain home-ice advantage in this series, but they haven't won back-to-back games in regulation since Feb. 28.
Are they poised to string together a couple of wins for the first time in nearly two months?
"I really hope so, and I really think so," Ericsson said Wednesday. "In the first two games they were better than us. Last night, I think we really spent some time in their offensive zone.
"We put some miles on their D-men, and they looked tired for the first time in the series. So that's a good sign for us, and I think we were kind of energized by that, too. We want to do the same thing (Thursday).
The feral Joe Louis Arena crowd will help.
"That gets us going a little bit extra, I think," Ericsson said. "We know we have to win this one here tomorrow to have a really good chance to win this series."
SMITH MAKES IMPACT IN RETURN, TOO
Justin Abdelkader got most of the headlines for the way the big winger led his team in Game 3, but teammates and coach Mike Babcock were also pleased with the effort and performance of another newcomer to the lineup, defenseman Brendan Smith.
"Obviously, Abby is a real good player, and getting him and Smitty in the lineup today help us," Babcock said. "Both are physical guys. Both are determined. Both are competitive."
Abdelkader had an assist on a power play goal, six hits and a blocked shot. He also physically confronted Tampa Bay's Cedric Paquette after he used his stick to upend goalie Petr Mrazek.
Smith was involved in the physical game, too, logging five hits and a shot on goal.
Detroit outhit the Lightning 48-26, according to the final game summary.
ROOKIE FERRARO STEPS UP
Luke Glendening put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal shot from behind his own blue line at the end of a long shift.
But it was his line's effort in a checking role that drew praise from his coach. Glendening and Drew Miller had been a tandem on an energy line all season, and they log a lot of time on the penalty kill as well. But the addition of speedy rookie Landon Ferraro has given them another dimension that's keeping him in the lineup.
"Well, Glennie's an ultra-competitive guy," Babcock said. "He's a great player and he's a good man. He knows the right thing to do and he does the right thing.
"Landon has great speed. We didn't know we were going to use him. You don't know how things are going to go, but when you come up and play good, you get to play. We played him all night long, and he played good for us."
NEAR MISSES MADE HUGE DIFFERENCE
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper believes his team was just on bounce away from a different outcome in Game 3 Tuesday night â and he gets no argument from the Red Wings.
"They had an extremely fortunate bounce on their first goal," Cooper said of Tomas Tatar's long slapshot that caromed in off Pavel Datsyuk's ankle to give Detroit a 1-0 lead and, it turned out, the winning goal early in the first period. "We didn't get the bounces. We had to work our tail off to get them, but we just didn't.
"Datsyuk's goal, he doesn't see it, hits off the back of his leg and it's an inch inside the post. We had open nets that were an inch outside the post so, if you are ready for the cliché game of inches, that's what I'm throwing at you."
Wings coach Mike Babcock agreed, saying that though his team played much better â particularly the special teams. But he conceded that a little break here or there for the opponent could produce a different outcome. The Lightning's biggest opportunity came on a 56-second, five-on-three power play early in the second period, when one of their most dangerous players, Tyler Johnson misfired on a yawning net behind Wings goalie Petr Mrazek.
"They hit a couple of posts and Johnson had a wide-open net," Babcock said, "so it goes to show you that things can change quickly in a game."
