Devils at Lightning
The New Jersey Devils return to the postseason for the first time since losing in the 2011-12 Stanley Cup finals and face quite a challenge when they visit the Atlantic Division champion Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Thursday. The Devils started the season 9-2-0 before stringing together an eight-game point streak (7-0-1) late in the campaign to seal a spot in the playoffs, and don’t plan to change their disciplined style.
“We have to continue with our identity and just go about our business the same way we always have,” New Jersey coach John Hynes told reporters. “The only difference now is you’re only focusing on one opponent.” Hart Trophy candidate Taylor Hall, who had a career-high 93 points, leads the Devils while the Lightning topped the league in scoring with Nikita Kucherov (100 points) and captain Steven Stamkos (86) as the prime producers. Stamkos (lower-body) practiced this week and is expected to play Thursday after missing the last three games for Tampa Bay, which lost all three meetings with New Jersey and finished 3-4-1 in the final eight of the regular season. “I think it’s a pretty fresh start once you get into the playoffs,” Stamkos told reporters. “Regular season is regular season, I think we know that.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, TVA Sports, Sportsnet, MSG Plus (New Jersey), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (44-29-9): Hall finished the regular season with 19 points (nine goals) in his last 12 games and has fit well on the top line with rookie center Nico Hischier (20 goals, 52 points) along with Kyle Palmieri (24, 44). New Jersey uses its speed, but has two experienced centers with size in Travis Zajac and Brian Boyle to lead the way for the young players and key the defensive structure that they hope can contain Tampa Bay’s top lines. Keith Kinkaid, who started the season as the backup to Cory Schneider, appears to have won the start in net for Game 1 after going 7-0-1 down the stretch - including a 2-1 victory over the Lightning on March 24.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (54-23-5): Stamkos told reporters after practice Wednesday it was the best he has felt in a couple weeks and skated between Kucherov and J.T. Miller, who recorded 18 points in 19 games after being acquired from the New York Rangers. Brayden Point (32 points, 66 points) centered Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson at practice as well and rookie center Anthony Cirelli has earned a spot on the third line, skating with Yanni Gourde (25, 64) and Alex Killorn. Victor Hedman keys the defense for the Lightning after posting career highs of 17 goals - tied for first among blue liners in the league - and a plus-32 rating to go along with 63 points.
OVERTIME
1. Tampa Bay G Andrei Vasilevskiy shared the league lead with 44 wins, but registered a .900 save percentage after Jan. 4 and a .939 before it.
2. The Devils finished 10th in the league on the power play (21.4 percent) and the Lightning were 27th on the penalty kill (76.1).
3. New Jersey F Patrick Maroon recorded three goals and 10 assists in 17 games after being acquired from Edmonton before the trade deadline.