It's the final game for the Devils before an eight-day break from competition. New Jersey host the Tampa Bay Lightning, looking to make their way back to the win column after a loss in their previous game to Pittsburgh,
Tuesday's game is on MSG+ and you can listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS

GAME DAY VIDEO
WATCH:
Third Vs. Tampa | Devils Minute
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Pavel Zacha
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Jimmy Vesey
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Head Coach Lindy Ruff
BY THE NUMBERS
Stats Comparison: Devils vs. Lightning 
Media Game Notes
Devils Player Statistics
Lightning Player Statistics
NHL Standings
Head to Head: Devils vs. Lightning
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TV & RADIO
You can watch tonight's game within the Devils region on MSG+.
You can listen to tonight's game on the
Devils Hockey Network.

INSIDE THE DEVILS

>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE DEVILS BLOG

PRE-GAME STORY

NEWARK, N.J. --The Devils and Lightning meet for a final time this season, with the series win on the line. The teams have split the first two games, both held in Tampa Bay, with tonight's game the decisive one and the first between the two teams in New Jersey.
The last time the Lightning visited the Devils was over two years ago, on Jan. 12, 2020, resulting in a Devils 3-2 victory.
Vesey Hits 400
Jimmy Vesey will play in his 400th NHL game tonight, marking a milestone for the 28-year-old whose career has been marked with several ups and downs. After a difficult 2020-21 season, which started in Toronto before he was claimed off waivers by Vancouver, Vesey earned himself a spot on the Devils opening night lineup after signing a one-year contract off of a player tryout.
"I've said last year was tough at times, and then this summer I didn't have a contract, so I didn't know what was going to happen. Anytime you hit a milestone, it's cool. So I'm excited for tonight."
Vesey also reflected this morning on what the Devils organization has meant to him.
"The team is great, a lot of good guys and it's been fun for me to come to the rink this year. You know, last year with everything going on and just at times it seemed like a drag, this year it's been, I think I've gotten the love for hockey back."
Missing In Action
Injuries continue to plague the team. Andreas Johnsson will miss a second consecutive game, while Jesper Bratt (lower-body) and Janne Kuokkanen (IR- wrist) also remain out. Head coach Lindy Ruff suggesting he will go with the same personnel as last game, tonight against Tampa.
Unofficial Break
Tonight marks the final game before an eight-day stretch without a game and the last home game for nearly two weeks. The next time the Devils will play at Prudential Center is Feb. 28 against the Canucks and their next game after tonight is Feb. 24 at Pittsburgh.
The break also will afford several of the Devils injured players to hopefully get closer to a return. One of those players Lindy Ruff was asked about today was Miles Wood, who has been out all season after undergoing hip surgery. Wood is just three months and a week out of having had the procedure.
"At some point, I think Miles, we're hoping that he will get back to us. He's training hard, he's skating a little bit now. So, you know he's not practicing with us yet, but he's progressing. So, I'm always hopeful that he'll have an opportunity to rejoin us."

PREVIEW

DEVILS (17-27-5) VS. LIGHTNING (31-11-6)
TV:7:00 p.m. ET; Televised on MSG+
RADIO:Devils Hockey Network
Head-to-Head:
The last time the Devils and Lightning met, New Jersey came out on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline. The two teams have so far split the season series, 1-1, with Tuesday's game being the tie-breaker and the final time the two clubs will faceoff this season. The last time New Jersey won a season series against Tampa Bay was during the 2017-18 season with a 3-0-0 record.
Unlike the previous two meetings with Tampa Bay, New Jersey will have to defend against Nikita Kucherov, who was not in the lineup for the first two games.
Devils Team Scope:
Coming off a loss to the Penguins on Sunday afternoon, the Devils will look to end their winless streak at one. After Sunday's game, head coach Lindy Ruff talked about good teams knowing how to end a losing streak at one and return right to the win column. This game against the Lightning is the only game on the Devils schedule for the next eight days, and the only home game until Feb. 28.
Andreas Johnsson missed the game against the Penguins, leaving warmups early and did not practice on Monday.
Jon Gillies has started the Devils last three games.
Lightning Team Scope:
The Lightning is near the top of the class in the Eastern Conference, sitting second behind the Florida Panthers. Entering Tuesday's contest, the Lightning are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
Defenseman Erik Cernak, who has been out of the lineup with an injury has a "decent chance" of returning to the lineup against New Jersey, per their head coach Jon Cooper.
Cernak is cousins with Devils defenseman Christian Jaros.
By the Numbers:
Devils forward Jimmy Vesey will play in his 400th NHL game when New Jersey hosts Tampa Bay. Vesey is in his first season with the Devils and has played for four other franchises (VAN, TOR, BUF, and NYR).
Vesey has 71 goals and 62 assists in his first 399 NHL games.
Tampa Bay averages 10.0 penalty minutes per game, the second-most in the Eastern Conference. Their penalty kill is ranked 12th in the league with an 81.2 percent success rate.
Injuries:
Devils:
Johnsson (lower-body)
Bratt (upper-body)
Kuokkanen (IR, wrist)
Hamilton (IR, jaw)
Thompson (IR, upper-body)
Wood (IR, hip)
Bernier (IR, lower body)
Blackwood (IR, heel)
Lightning:
Bogosian (lower-body)
Cernak (lower-body)