NHL ’94 “Game of the Night” Redwings @ Lightning “1992 Regular Season Game” December 5, 1992

NHL ’94 “Game of the Night” Redwings @ Lightning “1992 Regular Season Game” December 5, 1992

The sellout crowd at Expo Hall was a bit confused about when to throw hats onto the ice Saturday night.

But it’s a bit understandable. In the second consecutive shootout between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Detroit Red Wings, it was hard to keep up.

The Red Wings, with the second-most potent offense in the NHL, scored five goals in the third period to defeat Tampa Bay 9-7 before a crowd of 10,425.

The last time the Lightning got into a shootout with the speedy Red Wings, Tampa Bay suffered its worst loss of the season _ 10-5 on Nov. 23 in Detroit.

Brian Bradley scored three goals and Shawn Chambers, Bob Beers, Marc Bureau and Mikael Andersson each scored for the Lightning. Tampa Bay (10-16-2) has won just once in its past eight games and has lost four in a row at home.
Steve Yzerman had two goals and two assists and Paul Ysebaert added two goals for Detroit, which ended a five-game winless streak.

When Ysebaert scored his second goal, five hats were thrown onto the ice.

But when Bradley scored the Lightning’s third hat trick of the season in the third period, no hats were thrown onto the ice at first. When play began, one hat managed to make it over the glass.

When Chris Kontos scored the Lightning’s last hat trick at Expo Hall _ on opening night Oct. 7 _ the only fan who threw a hat on the ice was asked to leave by a security guard who didn’t know about the hockey tradition.

The Lightning was hoping a week off would help. It did for two periods. But then Detroit broke loose.

It was only the second time in 11 opportunities this season that the Red Wings have rallied from a second-period deficit.

The Lightning led 5-4 entering the third period. But just 49 seconds into the period, Yzerman tied the game for the fourth time. Yzerman, while falling, put the puck past Pat Jablonski’s stick side for his 22nd goal of the season to tie the game at 5-5.

Dino Ciccarelli put Detroit ahead when he stood at the left side of the crease and knocked in Steve Chiasson’s pass 10 seconds into a two-man advantage. Beers was in the penalty box for interference, and Peter Taglianetti for hooking.

On the same penalty to Taglianetti, Dallas Drake scored a power-play goal to give Detroit a 7-5 lead at 6:57 of the period. Jablonski, who faced 26 shots, was pulled in favor of Wendell Young.

Ysebaert scored his second goal of the game and Drake added another score to give Detroit a 9-5 lead with 8:28 left. It was the first time this season the Lightning has allowed five goals in a period.

Tampa Bay cut the lead to two goals on scores by Bradley, his third of the night, and Rob Zamuner.

Bradley, a seven-year NHL veteran, matched his career season high of 19 goals.

Bradley scored twice in the second period to propel Tampa Bay to 5-4 lead. The center put in the rebound of Steve Maltais’ shot on the power play for his first goal.

Detroit’s Ray Sheppard tied the game for the third time, at 4-4, when he scored on a breakaway with Beers giving chase. It was only the Red Wings’ eighth shot of the game.

Bradley broke the tie with his 18th goal of the season. John Tucker was dragged down by Drake. Bradley picked up the loose puck 10 feet inside the blue line, skated down the left wing and forced Red Wings goalie Vincent Riendeau to commit. When Riendeau went down, Bradley shot behind him from an almost impossible angle parallel with the goal line.

The game was tied 3-3 after the first period. Yzerman scored on the first shot of the game to give Detroit a 1-0 lead at the 31-second mark. It was the fifth time this season the Lightning has allowed an opponent to score in the opening minute. Tampa Bay has also allowed the first goal in six of its last seven games.
But the Lightning countered with three unanswered goals.

Bureau, who sat out the past six games with a bruised shoulder, tied the game at 1-1 off a feed from Andersson. It was his first goal of the season and the fourth shorthanded goal by the Lightning.

Chambers made it 2-1 with his first goal for the Lightning. He faked a shot from the slot, skated two strides to his left and blasted the puck just inside the far post.

Chambers, playing in just his fourth game for Tampa Bay because of a knee injury, had not scored since the 1990-91 season. He played just two games last season for Washington.

Beers’ slap shot from the right point gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 edge at 13:57 of the first period.

But Detroit scored 26 seconds later on a bang-bang play: Nicklas Lidstrom to Shawn Burr.

The Red Wings capitalized on a bad pass by Bureau to tie the game at 3-3. Bureau tried to cross the puck to Ramage, but it was intercepted by Yzerman who fed ahead to Ysebaert for a breakaway goal.