Brandon Hagel recorded his second career hat trick, and Victor Hedman added two goals to help the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New Jersey Devils 8-5 on Tuesday night.
Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, and Janis Moser also found the back of the net as the Lightning ended a two-game losing streak. Anthony Cirelli had a standout night with four assists, while goaltender Jonas Johansson made 28 saves.
Timo Meier scored twice for the Devils, while Jack Hughes, Nathan Bastian, and Stefan Noessen each added a goal. New Jersey, now 1-2-1 in its last four games after starting the season strong, saw Jake Allen make 29 saves in the loss.
The Devils initially led 2-1 early in the second period before Tampa Bay erupted with five consecutive goals, including three from Hagel, to take control of the game.
Moser’s third-period short-handed goal from 136 feet out, ricocheting off the sideboards, stretched Tampa Bay’s lead to 8-4.
Takeaways
Following a 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Monday, the Lightning bounced back strong, firing 37 shots on goal and blocking 18 shots against the Devils.
New Jersey continues to struggle at home, now 1-2-1 at the Prudential Center, allowing 14 goals in their last two home losses and being outscored 18-15 across four home games.
Key Moment
After trailing 2-1 in the second period, Tampa Bay took over, scoring five straight goals on just 13 shots to go up 6-2 entering the third. Hagel completed his hat trick with goals at 9:27, 13:01, and 15:52, marking his second career hat trick against the Devils.
Key Stat
Tampa Bay secured the win despite star forward Nikita Kucherov not scoring. Kucherov, who leads the NHL with seven goals, only took three shots but contributed with an assist.
Up Next
The Lightning will host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night to kick off a three-game homestand, while the Devils head to Detroit for their next game.
