The New Jersey Devils’ losing streak has extended to three games. After losses against Los Angeles and Carolina, the road trip began in Tampa Bay. After fighting from behind once again, the Devils were unable to complete the comeback and fell 3-2.
First Period
The New Jersey Devils found themselves in “Champa Bay” to face the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Devils entered the game massive underdogs and it looked like Tampa would strike first. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos found himself with the puck in the low slot in front of Jon Gillies, but fanned on the shot.
The Lightning took the game’s first penalty to give the Devils the game’s first power play. Tampa was unable to clear the puck while shorthanded and eventually Damon Severson scored on the power play with the assist going to Jesper Bratt. This was the sixth straight game New Jersey has scored on the man advantage and the only power play of the period.
Yegor Sharangovich almost make it 2-0 when his shot landed on Vasilevskiy’s doorstop. Pierre-Eduard Bellemare knocked the puck away, even as Nathan Bastian tried poking away at it. New Jersey would go to the locker room with a one-goal, yet unexpected, lead. The period was filled with plenty of offensive zone time for the Devils. Tampa still ended the first period with an 18-12 shot advantage, all of which were stopped by Gillies.
Second Period
New Jersey was sent to the penalty box for the first time as Andreas Johnsson took a high-sticking penalty. Alex Killorn would tip in a rebound to tie up the score at one goal a piece. Victor Hedman and Stamkos would get the assists. Jesper Bratt almost added a go-ahead goal for the Devils at around the eight-minute mark of the second period. His sharp-angle try was stopped by Vasilevskiy.
The Devils would get a four-minute power play after Jan Rutta was called for high-sticking on Jonas Siegenthaler. New Jersey wouldn’t enjoy the same success on the man advantage they did in the first. First, Anthony Cirelli, would get a shorthanded breakaway, but wouldn’t score
On Cirelli’s breakaway, he was hooked by Damon Severson, resulting in a penalty shot being awarded. Gillies came up huge stopping Cirelli’s shot with his left pad. The Devils would escape danger and return to the power play, or so they thought.
Mathieu Joseph would grab a lose puck in the neutral zone while on the penalty kill for Tampa. His initial shot was stopped by Gillies, but he would score on his own rebound to give Tampa a 2-1 lead. Tampa Bay’s first goal of the period was also scored off a short range rebound. It’s the seventh short-handed goal the Devils have allowed this season.
Bratt, who almost gave the Devils a second goal in the first, almost scored again as the second period ran down. Bratt got a long stretch pass to enter Tampa Bay’s zone on a partial breakaway. He would get tripped up by a body check before getting a shot off net.
Third Peroid
Jack Hughes almost found the equalizer from Yegor Sharangovich in the period’s opening minute. Pavel Zacha would add a shot of his own a minute later. Neither got passed Andrei Vasilevskiy.
One thing Tampa Bay began doing really way was blocking in front of their net. The middle of the ice was taken away, making the Devils offense shot the middle of each face off circle out. Inability to penetrate their center ice blockade cost the Devils quite a few scoring opportunities.
Hughes finally scored that elusive second goal for New Jersey after the halfway point in the third. Bratt would get the primary assist, making him a point-per-game player for this season.
Being tied wouldn’t last long. Cirelli would score Tampa’s third goal after being denied the penalty shot in the second. His goal came off a pass from Brayden Point and less than a minute after Hughes’ goal for New Jersey.
Gillies would head to the bench for the extra attacker with just over two minutes left. The puck deflecting out of play would send the face off to the neutral zone and New Jersey would take a time out. Hedman would ice the puck on an empty net scoring attempt, stopping the puck at just under seven seconds left. With New Jersey losing that last face off, the Devils didn’t have a real chance to get a play set up. New Jersey would fall to the reigning champs, 3-2 in Tampa Bay.