Offensive Explosion: Lightning Top Devils 8-4

The Devils, fresh off snapping a brutal five-game losing streak, ran into a buzzsaw tonight at the Prudential Center, absorbing a tough 8-4 loss against the scorching-hot Tampa Bay Lightning. While the final score was heavy, the Devils’ young offense didn’t quit, scoring four goals and refusing to fold. Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt led the charge, with Paul Cotter and Angus Crookshank also lighting the lamp—Crookshank notching his first goal as a Devil—proving the team’s depth scoring still packs a punch. The Lightning’s win streak now sits at two, powered by a stunning performance from both Nikita Kucherov, who recorded four assists, and Oliver Bjorkstrand, who scored two goals. Despite the outcome, New Jersey put up a serious offensive fight against Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Lightning Lineup:

Hagel – Cirelli – Kucherov
Guentzel – Point – Bjorkstrand
Girgensons – Gourde – Holmberg
Douglas – Paul – Sabourin

Moser – Raddysh
D’Astous – Lilleberg
Carlie – Crozier

Johansson
Halverson

New Jersey Devils Lineup:

Bratt – Hischier – Noesen
Palat – Mercer – Cotter
Gritsyuk – Glass – Brown
Parent – Glendening – Crookshank

Siegenthaler – Hamilton
Dillon – Hughes
White – Nemec

Markstrom
Allen

Nick Paul, scoring his 100th career goal, gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead early in the opening frame off a pass from Scott Sabourin after some fight for the puck, scoring from the left hashmarks on a snap shot at 17:03. Only 51 seconds later, Darren Raddysh found the back of the net with a one-timer from the blue line to put Tampa Bay up 2-0 when he was set up by Nikita Kucherov, who got a hold of the puck along the left boards after Brandon Hagel sent the puck around from the right side along the boards. Luke Hughes pulled New Jersey within one when he cut the lead 2-1 after he fired a quick snap shot past Jonas Johansson off a pass from Brenden Dillon, spun away from his teammate, and found the back of the net at 13:00 of the first. Not long after the first New Jersey goal at 12:04, the Lightning answered when Pontus Holmberg made it 3-1 with a 26-foot backhand goal from the right face-off circle, which ended Jacob Markstrom’s night. Jake Guentzel gave Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead with 5:00 left in the first period, firing from the slot past Jake Allen with a power-play goal.

At 13:41 of the second period, Oliver Bjorkstrand extended the Lightning’s lead to 5-1 off a pass from Guentzel, who sent the puck to him from the left side for Bjorkstrand to put a wrister at the left post. Jesper Bratt struck on the power play, pulling the Devils within 5-2, when he took a pass from Simon Nemec, who sent the puck up to him from the neutral zone while he was driving through the Lightning’s zone, and scored on a breakaway with 6:48 on the clock. Hagel got on the board during a delayed penalty on New Jersey at 3:25, making it 6-2, scoring on a snap shot after a bit of passing back and forth.

Angus Crookshank cut Tampa’s lead to 6-3, scoring his first goal as a Devil early in the third frame at 16:47 on a delayed penalty. At 12:05, Brayden Point gave the Lightning a 7-3 lead while falling to the ice for his fifth goal of the season and second goal in his past five games. Scoring his fourth of the season, as well as his second in his past five games, Paul Cotter put up the fourth Devils’ tally, 7-4, with a power-play goal with 4:32 on the clock in the third off a pass from Cody Glass, who reached 100 NHL career points with his assist on Cotter’s goal. Bjorkstrand went for the 8-4 final, scoring his second of the night and his fourth of the season, putting the puck past Allen on the power play at 4:03.

Game Notes:

– Before being replaced by Jake Allen, Jacob Markstrom made four saves on seven shots. Allen made a total of 23 saves in 52:04 of relief for New Jersey.

– Luke Hughes and Paul Cotter each picked up a goal and an assist.

– The Devils are 17-13-1, and have lost six of their past seven games and five in a row at home. In their past seven, 1-6-0.

– Jonas Johansson made a total of 33 saves for Tampa Bay.

– Oliver Bjorkstrand had a three-point night, scoring two goals and picking up an assist. Nikita Kucherov collected four assists.

– The Tampa Bay Lightning; 18-11-2.