The Tampa Bay Lightning pushed back but couldn’t overcome a quick New Jersey Devils start on Saturday night at Benchmark International Arena.
New Jersey scored three goals in a 5 minute, 15 second span of the first period and never gave the lead back in a 5-3 win over the Lightning. The Lightning got goals from Yanni Gourde and Ryan McDonagh to make it a 3-2 game in the second period, but New Jersey responded with the next two scores to fend off the Bolts’ push.
Max Crozier's two assists led the Lightning, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 22 saves.
Tampa Bay (0-2-0) now turns its attention to the Boston Bruins, who host the Lightning for a 1 p.m. game on Monday.
Scoring summary
First period
NJD 1, TBL 0
8:33 Timo Meier (1) - Dawson Mercer, Nico Hischier
The visitors opened the scoring on a rebound goal from Timo Meier.
NJD 2, TBL 0
10:17 Connor Brown (1) - Arseny Gritsyuk, Luke Hughes
The Devils doubled their lead on the rush when forward Connor Brown tipped home a pass from Arseny Gritsyuk.
NJD 3, TBL 0
13:48 Hischier (1) - Meier, Hughes
The puck deflected off a Lightning defender’s shin pad and into the net for the Devils’ third goal of the period.
Shots on goal: NJD 16, TBL 2
Second period
NJD 3, TBL 1
7:31 Yanni Gourde (1) - Brayden Point, Max Crozier
Forward Yanni Gourde found some offense for Tampa Bay in the middle period, scoring his first goal of the year on a top-shelf shot off the rush to cut into the visitors’ lead.
NJD 3, TBL 2
17:22 Ryan McDonagh (1) - Brandon Hagel, Crozier
The Lightning drew themselves within one goal of the Devils late in the second, this time on Ryan McDonagh’s one-timer from the top of the offensive zone.
Shots on goal: TBL 8, NJD 6
Third period
NJD 4, TBL 2
4:48 Jesper Bratt (1) - Unassisted - SH
The Devils took the two-goal lead back with a shorthanded breakaway goal for forward Jesper Bratt.
NJD 5, TBL 2
6:27 Brown (2) - Gritsyuk, Simon Nemec
New Jersey extended the lead with Brown’s second goal of the game, this one coming on a shot from the right faceoff dot.
NJD 5, TBL 3
16:17 Darren Raddysh (1) - Oliver Bjorkstrand, Gage Goncalves
Defenseman Darren Raddysh scored Tampa Bay’s final goal with a deep shot past Markstrom’s glove.
Total shots: NJD 27, TBL 17
