Devils at Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning would like to match their defensive performance from last time out and close out the visiting New Jersey Devils when the teams meet for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Saturday afternoon. The Lightning held the Devils to a 5-on-3 power-play goal and limited the opportunities for Hart Trophy candidate Taylor Hall in a 3-1 victory Wednesday that gave them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov recorded a pair of goals to go along with an assist Wednesday, pushing his point total to nine for the series, and the Lightning hope to continue getting major contributions from their top players to end the Devils’ season. “They’re going to put up a great fight,” Tampa Bay defenseman Dan Girardi said Friday. “We need to be ready for their intensity at the start. It’s not a wait and see game. We have to make sure we dictate the play the first five (minutes), get our crowd behind us and create some energy from it.” New Jersey needs to find a spark offensively as Hall (six) and rookie defenseman Will Butcher (three) are the only players with more than two points in the first four games, but the Devils have thrived in the underdog role this season and a road win Saturday would apply plenty of pressure. “I’ve got a lot of competitors in that room,” New Jersey coach John Hynes told the Star Ledger. “I got guys with a lot of pride, guys that have had that pushback all year long - guys that have been counted out and they always respond.”
TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC or NBC Sports Network, TVA 2
ABOUT THE DEVILS: New Jersey has had plenty of chances on the power play, especially in the last two games, but is 3-for-18 with the man advantage in the series and two of their goals came with a 5-on-3 skater advantage. “Just couldn’t find some lanes. I think we were fighting it a little bit,” Devils center Travis Zajac told reporters after Game 4. “We’ll bounce back. We’ve got some good players on (the power play), and it will be a factor next game for us.” Defenseman Sami Vatanen, who averaged more than 23 minutes of ice time in the first three games, did not travel with the team after suffering an upper-body injury in Game 4 - but has not been ruled out for Saturday.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Kucherov also became a physical force in Wednesday’s win as his hit knocked Vatanen out of the game and he avoided a suspension when the league deemed the first contract was to the shoulder. “Kuch (Wednesday) flexed his muscles,” coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “... When you’re playing both sides of the puck, you’re contributing offensively, defensively, you’re physical, you’re engaged, it does nothing but lift our team.” Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy has been outstanding in the series, stopping 133 of the 142 shots he has faced for a .937 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average.
OVERTIME
1. Hall was held to one shot on net in Game 4 after collecting 17 in the first three contests of the series and impressive rookie C Nico Hischier also had one.
2. Kucherov is slated to play his 50th playoff game Saturday and needs one point to tie Vincent Lecavalier (52) for second in franchise history for postseason scoring.
3. Tampa Bay RW Ryan Callahan (upper-body), who missed the last two contests, practiced fully Friday and is a game-time decision for Saturday.