Red Wings-Lightning 2016 playoff series

The Red Wings figure to call on Petr Mrazek for Game 3 against the Lightning.

(AP file photo)

TAMPA, Fla. - The Detroit Red Wings' season essentially is on the line Sunday in Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Joe Louis Arena.

Trailing 2-0, the Red Wings can't afford to lose that game.

They had opportunities to win the first two games, both of which were tied in the third period, but they couldn't finish. They have lost four games in a row, including the final two in the regular season.

This certainly will lead to lineup changes, starting in goal. Petr Mrazek, in all likelihood, will start Game 3. Jimmy Howard, playing behind a shaky defense, has a 3.59 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in two games.

Mrazek, who lost the starting job late in the season due to bad outings, hasn't started since March 26, when he was pulled after allowing four goals in a span of 14:51 during the second period of a 7-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was the fourth time in a span of 13 starts that he has been replaced.

But the Red Wings need a spark of some sort. Mrazek nearly lifted them to a first-round upset of the Lightning last year, when he posted a pair of shutouts in the seven-game series loss.

Chances are defenseman Brendan Smith, a healthy scratch the past nine games, will play as well. He might replace Alexey Marchenko. The same thing happened last year, when Smith sat the first two games and then replaced Marchenko.

Up front, the Red Wings have two options in Tomas Jurco and Teemu Pulkkinen. One might replace Joakim Andersson,

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