The game completely flipped during a six-minute span in the second period. The Bolts led 2-0 after Alex Killorn scored at 6:30, but New Jersey followed with three unanswered goals in 5:23 to take the lead for good.
Sunday marked the third meeting between the Bolts and Devils this week. Tampa Bay had a chance to sweep the regular season series after winning both games in Newark but must settle for four points from this mini-series.
The Lightning will now depart on a four-game road trip that begins on Tuesday in Montreal against the Canadiens.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
TBL 1, NJD 0
3:26 Nikita Kucherov (28) - Steven Stamkos
In the closing seconds of a Lightning power play, Ryan Graves circled his own net and attempted to clear the puck down the ice. Just inside the blue line, Nikita Kucherov intercepted to hold play in the zone and fed Steven Stamkos at the left circle. Stamkos returned the puck to Kucherov on a tee for him to one-time home from the high slot.
2nd Period
TBL 2, NJD 0
6:30 Alex Killorn (22) - Erik Cernak, Anthony Cirelli
Coming down the right wing with the puck, Alex Killorn waited for Damon Severson to go down trying to block a shot or pass. With Severson down on the ice, Killorn sidestepped him to the slot and fired a wrist shot past Vitek Vanecek to double the Lightning's lead.
TBL 2, NJD 1
6:39 Jesper Bratt (28) - Nico Hischier, Damon Severson
Things started to go sideways for the Bolts off the ensuing faceoff, as New Jersey quickly entered the zone and got themselves back within a goal nine seconds later on a shot from Jesper Bratt.
TBL 2, NJD 2
9:22 Jesper Bratt (29) - Jonas Siegenthaler, Dougie Hamilton
New Jersey tied things up midway through the period on Bratt's second goal. With traffic in front of the net taking away Andrei Vasilevskiy's vision, Bratt fired from high in the zone and the shot got through cleanly.
NJD 3, TBL 2
12:02 Nico Hischier (30) - Dougie Hamilton
Less than six minutes after first getting on the board, the Devils scored their third goal of the period to storm back and take the lead. Off a Lightning turnover in the neutral zone, Nico Hischier made them pay, firing a shot through Vasilevskiy's five-hole from the slot.
3rd Period
NJD 4, TBL 2
9:51 Nolan Foote (1) - Yegor Sharangovich, Kevin Bahl
Former Lightning prospect Nolan Foote gave the Devils some insurance midway through the third. After taking the blue line, Foote pulled up just above the right circle and fired a low shot that got through traffic and beat Vasilevskiy five-hole.
NJD 5, TBL 2
19:48 Jesper Bratt (30) - Timo Meier - ENG
Bratt finished off a hat trick with an empty net goal in the final seconds of regulation.
