Here are 10 takeaways from the game:
1. An unlikely suspect opened the game's scoring. Ben Lovejoy scored at 2:59 of the first period with what looked like a harmless shot from the half-wall. Tampa netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy was backing up into his net and appeared surprised by the shot.
Tweet from @HabsCorner: Lovejoy's 2nd of the season pic.twitter.com/i5r3VEJqq7
The goal was Lovejoy's first goal since Nov. 5 at Calgary and just his third since he signed with the New Jersey Devils.
2. Eddie Lack made his fourth appearance in net for the Devils, and earned his first victory for New Jersey this season. Lack was peppered with shots all night long, especially in the first period where he faced 16 shots, including some high-quality ones where he stood tall to keep the score tied 1-1 at the end of the first.
Tweet from @HabsCorner: Crazy sequence / saves by Lack on the Lightning PPWOW! pic.twitter.com/lqTMrihPDH
Lack made a career-high 48 saves on 51 shots in the victory, his first win since Nov. 13 2017.
3. The Devils were being badly outshot against the Lightning when Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead. At 2:47 of the second period, Lightning forward Brayden Point fired a power play goal past Lack.
4. For a second straight game, Nico Hischier used his teammate on an odd-man rush as a decoy. 20 seconds after the Lightning took a 2-1 lead, Hischier evened the score with a wrist shot, stick side on Vasilevskiy. It's the second straight game Hischier found himself on an odd-man rush and chose to shoot instead of pass, as he's clearly gaining confidence with his 12th goal of the season.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Hischier shoots. Hischier scores. #NJDvsTBL pic.twitter.com/WRq96KzdE5
5. Taylor Hall and Sami Vatanen assisted on Hischier's goal. The assist for Hall means he has scored at least a point in 17 straight games played. Over the course of that stretch, Hall has 11 goals, 14 assists for 25 points.
6. The Lightning are the proud owners of the league's second-best power play, but the Devils made them pay on at least one occasion. Pavel Zacha scored shorthanded on the Lightning's third man-advantage opportunity. Zacha beat Vasilevskiy to take a 3-2 lead at 6:27 of the second period. It was the third goal the Lightning would concede on 16 shots.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Shorthanded but sure-handed. #NJDvsTBL GameCenter: https://t.co/KjWfCReYOI����: MSG Go: https://t.co/tg62l8kBbN pic.twitter.com/rtRToasRwu
7. Miles Wood gave the Devils a two-goal lead at 1:24 of the third period. Wood was in the high slot, and buried a feed from Stefan Noesen to give the Devils a 4-2 lead. The assist went to Noesen, making it seven different New Jersey Devils players with at least a point against the Lightning.
8. The Devils struggled on special teams, Saturday night. The Devils gave up two power play goals on six Tampa man advantages, and were unable to find the back of the net on their three chances on the power play.
9. The Devils earn victory No. 30 this season and handed the Lightning just their sixth regulation loss at home.
10. The Devils have a very quick turnaround for their next game - just 22 hours to be exact. The Devils will be in Carolina to face the Hurricanes on Sunday evening. Keith Kinkaid will get the start in net for the 5 p.m. start.
