Lightning at Devils
The New Jersey Devils climbed back into the Eastern Conference first-round series with a comeback win and can even the slate when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 4 on Wednesday night. Taylor Hall registered a goal and two assists as the Devils rallied from one-goal deficits twice and scored four times in the third period for a 5-2 victory Monday.
“This was huge for our confidence,” New Jersey goalie Cory Schneider told reporters after earning his first win since Dec. 27 with 34 saves. “You can see at the end it was getting a little nasty. We’re on each other’s nerves a bit. They’re going to regroup and come back in Game 4. … We need to be ready for their push and fight harder.” Nikita Kucherov had a pair of assists to increase his team-leading total to six points in the series for Tampa Bay, which led 1-0 in the second period and then 2-1 after captain Steven Stamkos’ goal 38 seconds into the third. However, the Lightning gave the Devils seven power plays - four in the third period - and New Jersey tied it on a 5-on-3 advantage to spark the four-goal uprising. “Any momentum they gained in that game was because of our penalties, and every penalty we took it seemed was 200 feet from our net,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “It was too bad because I thought for two periods, and then after getting the go-ahead goal, we had control of that game. … We did it to ourselves.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Golf Channel, TVA2, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MSG Plus (New Jersey)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Left wing Alex Killorn became the second Tampa Bay player to score in each of the first three games of a playoff series with one tally Monday to join Vincent Lecavalier, who did it in four straight against New Jersey in 2007. The Lightning have scored five of their 12 goals in the series with the power play on nine chances and their much-maligned penalty kill is 10-for-12 - giving up one of those while down two men. Right wing Ryan Callahan (upper-body), a key on the penalty-killing unit, sat out Game 3 but participated in the morning skate Monday and could return to the lineup soon.
ABOUT THE DEVILS: Schneider replaced Keith Kinkaid in net for Game 3 and was outstanding when he needed to be, especially in the third period when he gloved a Tyler Johnson point-blank chance while laying on the ice. “(Schneider) was just unreal,” Hall told reporters. “I’m so happy for him after the last couple months, where he’s been and him sitting out. He’s such a great teammate, nothing’s changed about his personality, then he comes in a steals the game for us. It’s just awesome.” Forward Blake Coleman had an empty-netter Monday for his second goal in two games and boasts a series-high, plus-3 rating.
OVERTIME
1. Tampa Bay G Andrei Vasilevskiy owns a .930 save percentage in the series and a .922 SP in 15 career playoff games.
2. New Jersey F Marcus Johansson (concussion) had two shots while logging 14:30 of ice time Monday in his first game since Jan. 23.
3. Kucherov has moved past Brad Richards (47) for third on the franchise’s all-time list for playoff points with 48 in 48 games.