Devils erase deficit, win shootout with Lightning
NEWARK, N.J. -- Drew Stafford scored twice, including the game-tying goal late in the third period, and Kyle Palmieri had the only goal of the shootout as the surprising New Jersey Devils rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center.
The win was the second straight for the Devils (5-1-0), who snapped a four-game winning streak for the Lightning (5-1-1).
Steven Stamkos had a season-high three points with a goal and two assists for the Lightning, and teammate Nikita Kucherov scored his eighth goal and added an assist. Both players have at least one point in all seven games this season.
Lightning goaltender Peter Budaj allowed a soft goal to Stafford just 2:45 into the game, but the visitors answered with two quick goals of their own from Vladislav Namestnikov -- his third of the season -- at 7:33 and Ondrej Palat -- also his third -- at 12:21.
Palmieri ripped a right-wing slap shot past Budaj to tie the score at 16:19; and Brian Gibbons restored the Devils' one-goal lead with 51.5 seconds to play before the first intermission.
However, Budaj settled down in the second period and the Lightning grabbed a 4-3 lead with Kucherov and Stamkos finding the back of the net.
Kucherov tied the score by blistering a left-wing slap shot past Devils goalie Cory Schneider at 14:56 of the second period. He now has at least one goal in all seven games this season, five shy of Mario Lemieux's NHL record of goals in 12 consecutive games to start a season.
Left alone in the slot, Stamkos picked up a loose puck that squirted out front from behind the Devils' net and buried a backhand for his second goal of the season at 17:23 to make it 4-3 Lightning.
Stafford, though, forced overtime by burying a rebound at 15:54 of the third period to pull the Devils even and set up their first overtime victory of the season.
NOTES: LW Ondrej Palat scored a power-play goal in the first period, giving the Lightning at least one power-play goal in all seven games this season. ... The Lightning scratched RW J.T. Brown, D Slater Koekkoek and C Gabriel Dumont. ... The Devils scratched D Ben Lovejoy, D Dalton Prout and RW Stefan Noesen.