Devils at Lightning
Nikita Kucherov is warming up again and the NHL’s leading scorer looks to continue his latest scoring surge when the Tampa Bay Lightning host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. Kucherov easily tops the NHL with 76 points after posting four in the 4-1 victory over Detroit on Thursday and boasts four goals along with six assists in the last five games for the Lightning, who have won 20 of 26 contests on home ice.
“When he’s on his game, which he has been most of the year, he’s fun to watch,” Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman said of Kucherov, who has 31 goals - already his second best career total. “We try to get him the puck as much as we can.” Kucherov has recorded four goals and nine assists, including one of each in the 5-4 shootout loss Oct. 17 in Newark, N.J., in 10 career games against the Devils. New Jersey rebounded from a four-game slide with victories against two of the teams it is fighting with for a playoff spot - at Philadelphia (5-4, shootout) on Tuesday and Carolina (5-2) on Thursday. Devils left wing Taylor Hall looks to extend his 16-game point streak - the longest in the NHL this season and a franchise record - after notching an assist in Thursday’s victory as New Jersey solidified its spot as the top wild-card team in the Eastern Conference.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (29-20-8): Hall has registered 11 goals and 13 assists during his streak and leads the team with 60 points - well ahead of his closest pursuer rookie Nico Hischier, who has six of his 37 points in the last three games. Right wing Kyle Palmieri is warming up with three goals in his last four games while third-leading scorer and rookie forward Jesper Bratt has managed only two of his 33 points in the past eight contests. All-Star center Brian Boyle (shoulder), who has recorded 11 goals in 45 games, has been skating after missing the last two games and could possibly return for a battle with his former team Saturday.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (39-16-3): Captain Steven Stamkos, along with defenseman Victor Hedman, also had big nights Thursday and each boast seven points in their last five games. Brayden Point has assists in three straight games to pull within one of 50 points while linemate Alex Killorn owns six goals and five assists in his last eight contests. “As soon as the calendar turned to February, (Killorn) has really turned it up,” coach Jon Cooper said Thursday. “Killer’s winning all his puck battles, he’s going to the net, he’s making himself available. Early in the year, he didn’t quite have that jump, he didn’t have that speed to his game.”
OVERTIME
1. New Jersey C Travis Zajac has three assists in his past two contests and can pass Jay Pandolfo (819) for sixth in games play in franchise history Saturday.
2. The Lightning are 9-for-29 on the power play over the last eight games while the Devils are 0-for-13 in their past four outings.
3. New Jersey G Keith Kinkaid has started eight of the last nine games with G Cory Schneider (groin) injured and is 5-3-0 during that stretch.