Stefan Noesen scored a power-play goal in overtime, and Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves as the New Jersey Devils edged the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday night.
Ondrej Palat and Jack Hughes also scored for New Jersey, snapping the team’s recent struggles following a challenging 1-4-1 road trip. The Devils improved their home form, claiming their sixth consecutive victory at the Prudential Center. In his first season with New Jersey, Markstrom improved his record to 21-8-3.
Noesen sealed the win with his 17th goal of the season, scoring 3:19 into the extra period while Tampa Bay’s Nick Paul served a tripping penalty. Jesper Bratt assisted on the game-winner, recording his second assist of the night.
Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves in a losing effort.
Game Recap
Palat opened the scoring for New Jersey at 8:09 of the first period with his 10th goal of the season, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. Tampa Bay answered quickly when Hedman found the net with his sixth goal at 9:57.
Hughes restored the Devils’ lead in the second period, unleashing a high shot past Vasilevskiy at 15:16 for his 17th goal of the season.
Tampa Bay tied it again at 8:05 of the third when Kucherov converted a breakaway for his 18th goal. Despite two early power-play opportunities in the final period, the Lightning couldn’t capitalize, as Markstrom made several key saves, including a highlight-reel stop on Brayden Point.
Takeaways
Lightning: Tampa Bay’s struggles on the road continued as they dropped their fourth straight-away game.
Devils: New Jersey is now 19-10-2 since their 3-0 loss at Calgary on Nov. 1, demonstrating resilience and strong home form.
Key Moment
Markstrom’s glove save on Point during a Tampa Bay power play at 3:19 of the third period preserved the 2-2 tie and kept the Devils in position to force overtime.
Key Stats
- The Devils improved to 21-0-1 this season when leading after two periods.
- Hughes extended his team-leading point total to 52.
Up Next
- Lightning: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
- Devils: Host the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
